Protection
by Elizabeth Whittaker
Summary: Yuki X Shuichi and Ryuichi X Tatsuha. It seems Tatsuha and Ryuichi are playing a deadly game to see which one loves Shuichi, and Eiri must face up to his fears. Can he protect Shuichi and still love him?
1. Forbidden Love

Protection

By: Elizabeth Whittaker

Author's Notes: This is a yaoi fanfiction about the series Gravitation.

When writing this, this is after book 12 and the OVA "Lyrics of Love". **THERE ARE SPOILERS. You have been warned.**

Yes, Yuki is being called Eiri in this story because every time I see Yuki, I think of Yuki Sohma, Fruits Basket was my anime before Gravitation. The only one who calls him Yuki is Shuichi, because let's face it, he will always call him Yuki.

All characters in this series belong to the owner.

This is a one shot fanfiction, I think.

-------------------------------------------

It was after the Tokyo Bay Music Festival that Tasuha had seen an improvement in his brother's behavior. He was still a bit upset that Eiri had written lyrics for Nittle Grasper, but after her saw Shuichi jump down from the special guest balcony to sing with Ryuichi Sakuma, Tasuha was not that mad anymore. In fact, he enjoyed the song. Not to mention glancing at Ryuichi every chance he could.

Tasuha just wondered of he could find love, too. After all, his cold hearted brother did. Why couldn't he?

He had risen from Eiri's couch, wondering why his brother was so lucky to have Shuichi. Shuichi, while being emotionally taxing, was good for his brother. It also seemed that Eiri didn't seem to mind to have the young rock star around. In fact, he had just took a break from his novels to go on a vacation with Shuichi and returned a few days ago. And Tasuha had ended up inviting himself over and staying for a few days.

And he was jealous of the things going on behind the scenes. Even though he was disgusted with the thought of them making love, he wanted something to call his own as well. How Tasuha wished for love.

It was just a shame he could not try for Shuichi, and it really was not worth getting rebuked or killed over by his cold, blond haired brother. So, this left him in a bit of a rut.

The door opened, knocking Tasuha out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Eiri and Shuichi walking into their home, with Eiri glaring at Tasuha as he stopped to take off his shoes. It was rather hard for Eiri to do when Shuichi was glued to his arm, but for the moment, Eiri ignored Shuichi. "Tasuha," Eiri addressed him.

"Have fun, bro?" The black haired man asked.

"Would have had more if you hadn't been standing around," Eiri replied as he put his slippers on and walked on the hardwood floor. "It's been three days. Either tell me what you want or get the hell out. I can't stand—"

Tasuha sighed as Shuichi put a hand on Eiri's arm. "Yuki, calm down."

"Shuichi." Eiri had spoke softly, but it still stopped Shuichi, making him glance at Eiri tearfully. Tasuha revolted inside as he watched the scene and wanted to take back Eiri's hand that he placed on Shuichi's cheek. "Go in the bedroom. This won't take long."

Tears came to the boy's face. "You said—"

"Go, Shuichi," he growled, then softened as he gazed at him hanging his head. Eiri cupped his chin and kissed his cheek. "Go on. I won't be too long."

_So this is what love and romance is supposed to be about?_ Tasuha thought softly, taking a deep breath. _No wonder Bro always gets troubled when Shuichi gets upset or leaves._ "So, is this what love is—"

Shuichi looked up at Tasuha and sighed. "Damn it, don't judge us just cause we—YUKIIII!" He screamed as he was pushed bodily into the bedroom and Yuki closed the door. A click was heard as it was pushed closer and Shuichi banged on the door. "Yuki! Open up! YUKI!"

This was left unheard as Eiri stepped away from the bedroom door and glared once again at Tasuha. "You are starting to get on my nerves. Since when can you judge love, Tasuha? I thought you abhorred the fact that I turned gay." The coldness returned to his eyes, but did not match the smile on his face. "Why must you stay here? Go bug Mika. She'd let you stay with her. Or did you try to try to curse Tohma with that voodoo kit too?" Eiri asked as he walked to the couch, reminding his brother of his desperation several weeks earlier. "That was a stupid stunt you pulled to see Ryuichi. One would think you're in love with him."

The words were cold, and harsh as Tasuha heard them. "That—that's not it!" he said softly. "I just think he's—"

"If you say he's a god one more time—" Eiri warned, glancing down at him.

"But---" Tasuha stopped as he glanced at Eiri's bedroom door once more, noting that the cries from Shuichi stopped. He smirked. "Then again, one would think you love Shuichi from how you're hiding him from this harsh moment. Isn't that—"

"Shut up, Tasuha. You're being stupid." Eiri turned around and had proceeded to turn to go to his bedroom, loosening his tie as he walked. "Don't bother finishing that sentence. Just go home."

Tasuha smiled. "So you do."

Turning around, Eiri picked up a video that was near the table he was standing beside. "What are you doing, watching Shuichi's concert videos all the time? It's scary. It makes you look like you're obsessed with him or something. That scares even me, Tasuha. Just go home."

"But I do," Tasuha said. He did it without really thinking and covered his mouth as he did so. He knew he was about to get his ass reamed out for telling Eiri what he thought of his lover. "I mean, I didn't mean it that way, Eiri. Honestly. Just…he's good in concert."

This did not stop the novelist from going back over and getting within an inch of his face. "He may be good, but his lyrics suck. We all know this. Don't tell me you're trying to steal my piece of ass away from me. It's bad enough when the kid leaves."

"Don't play tough. You love him. Truth is, he don't deserve you from the way you treat him. You just regard him as another fuckhole when you get bored."

Tasuha enjoyed his glory for a moment before Eiri pushed him against the couch.

"Do you know how many times I've had to come back to get Shuichi to come after you? Do you know how much I hated watching that boy suffer, and you didn't give a fuck about him! Do you realize that everyone has feelings too, that you can't be cold all the time? I don't get why you treat him the way you do but—"

"Shut up." Eiri's eyes went deathly cold.

Tasuha blinked as he nervously ran a hand though his hair. "Excuse me?"

"Just shut up, Tasuha. You don't know anything about this. Honestly. If you still think I'm like that, then you try to make love to the boy. I guarantee that he won't go after anyone else except me. And that's the way it'll stay." Tasuha sighed as Eiri smirked. "He does worm your way into your heart, let's just say. It's better then rereading a draft of my romance novels. They make them sound cheap and lame."

"So why exactly do you keep him around?" Tasuha asked. "If you don't love him—"

"I do," Eiri said. "And if I find out you're stealing him away from me, touching him, or doing anything else, I will beat your ass, blood or no. So just give up on Shu and go home, alright? You can let yourself out." As Eiri moved away from the couch and to his bedroom, he called, "If you don't, I'll kill you." His hand moved to the bedroom door as he opened it and closed it behind him, cries of passion coming from inside.

_Shuichi…damn you. Sometimes, I could really hate you for having my brother wrapped around your finger._ As Tasuha rose, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. _I wanted to be around your finger. And sometimes…I wanted you to be wrapped around mine._

_A shame it won't happen now. But you helped change Eiri._

_I guess I can be grateful for that._

Tasuha opened the door to the apartment and walked out, closing it behind him and heading for the stairway. He saw two people holding hands down the hall, two nameless guys that were heading for their own room. He overheard some of the conversation and smirked as he realized they were talking about Bad Luck's new album release with a special song written by Eiri Yuki.

_In the end, I guess I was meant to be alone. This doesn't mean anything. I still hate how you made me love you. But I know I can never get that in return._

_I hope you're happy . . . Shuichi. You've made my brother smile again._

_But I wish I could make you smile too . . . But you only have room for Eiri and not for me._


	2. Deadlines

After being asked to continue this story by two different people, I decided that I will since I had more ideas and had writers block. I'm going into a different point of view, but we will be returning to Tasuha and Eiri. They can be emotionally taxing to write to.

BTW: I hate the formatting on this, how it eats it up when it looks good in Microsoft Word.

* * *

The next day, Shuichi had gotten up and was not surprised to find out that Eiri had retreated to his writing room for the day. Despite that they had made love several times the night before, Shuichi could not help but think that something else was bugging the novelist. He had overheard part of the conversation with Tasuha and Eiri, cracking the door open to listen. He never mentioned anything to Eiri, since he knew he would evade the subject. 

But what he did hear was enough to scare him, or confirm his worst fears. He definitely did not want Tasuha to be his new lover. Or his lover at all. That was Eiri's place. And Shuichi kept that in his head as he walked into N-G Studios to begin his work day.

* * *

"Hey guys!" Shuichi called as he opened the door, seeing Fujisaki and Hiro glaring at him once again from where they were sitting. This happened every morning that Shuichi was late, and the teenager glanced at his watch. "It's only three minutes late this time," Shuichi whined. "I'm really sorry." 

The black haired boy stood up from his seat at the table. "We have an interview this morning at 11:00, Mr. Shindo! Can't you be more punctual?" Sighing, Fujisaki sat down and glanced at Mr. Sanako, who was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room with K, their manager. "Can't you do something about him?"

"I'm afraid I can't," Mr. Sanako said softly. "After all, I'm not your manager anymore. Mr. Seguchi wanted me to help him with some other project, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help you for the time being." As he got two glares of death from Fujisaki and Hiro, Mr. Sakano pushed his glasses on his nose, smiling a bit. "But don't worry. I'm sure K will keep him in line in my place."

As Shuichi sat down, he had a feeling that this would be a long day. "Great, I get K's friendly wake up calls by evading bullets and trying to not get killed in the first thirty seconds of the morning." He sighed heavily as he threw his bag on the ground.

"I think Mr. Yuki's been getting to you again," Hiro said, glancing at his friend. "Or was it something else that's irritating you this morning, Shuichi?"

_How can I tell them what I overheard? In this business, K would leak out the scandal, or supposed scandal, and Yuki would have my head. And I don't want Yuki to worry over me anymore._ "No, I'm alright. I just didn't get much sleep last night, that's all."

Fujisaki rolled his brown eyes and sat back down. "I assume we're just going to go to the interview and nothing else will get done then?"

"Speaking of which, we need to get there fast if we're going to make it there on time. We only have a half hour to make it to the studio," K informed them, grabbing his magnum. "And if no one moves, I'm putting some slugs into your head!"

"When you put it that way," Shuichi said softly, "I suppose we have no choice." He stood up and, pushing his chair in, walked out the door before K could interject.

"Do you suppose something's wrong with Mr. Shindo?" Mr. Sakano asked Hiro. "He's acting a little differently then normal." Standing up, he scratched his head as the rest of the members of Bad Luck stood up as well. "Maybe we shouldn't have let Mr. Yuki write that song after all."

Hiro shrugged. "I don't think it's the song that's bothering him. We still have to record it, but that can wait till tomorrow. We have two weeks until the album comes out, right?" He went to grab his jacket that was behind him and sitting on the back of the metal chair.

"It's ONLY TWO WEEKS!" Fujisaki cried. "For god's sake, I could have worked better with Nittle Grasper!" Taking another breath, he sighed. "Sorry. I'm trying to cope, Hiro, but it makes me think you're the only sane one in this mess."

Hiro smiled and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Don't worry. No one can deal with Shuichi easily. Sometimes, even my patience wears thin. But if this keeps up much longer, I'm afraid we might have to visit Mr. Yuki himself."

"I can do it!" K said, excited. "I could put a few more slugs into his wall!"

The three others in the room looked at him, shocked that he had even said that. "You did what!" It was unanimously said.

"Oh, well…it was nothing," K muttered, walking toward the door and glancing at his watch. "It's now…10:39. Twenty minutes to get to the studio, guys!" With that, K fired a round at Hiro's head.

"SHIT! ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING!" Hiro and Fujisaki screamed as they ran to the door, covering their heads. Mr. Sakano followed suit, but ran for the elevator and pressed it to the 24th floor, where Tohma's office was. His work was done, after all.

And K's work was just beginning.

* * *

Tasuha saw Shuichi coming out of the N-G Studios building and smiled. Stuffing his hands in his jacket, he moved his way over to the younger boy. He liked that he had the pink hair again, and that he was moving to his own pace in the music industry. It had to be hard to be the heir of the legacy of Nittle Grasper, but he knew Shuichi could handle it. 

But that was not why he was here.

"Shu," Tasuha called. "Hey, Shuichi."

He saw his head poke up and at seeing Tasuha, gulped. Tasuha suspected he overheard the conversation the previous night between Eiri and sighed. "Hi, Tasuha. Funny that you're here, isn't it?" he asked.

Tasuha laughed. "Well, Eiri told me to tell you that he won't be able to pick you up from work tonight. Apparently his editor needed to meet with him as soon as he could, so he asked me to pick you up for him." _It's a good enough lie. I just want to talk to Shuichi alone, that's all. Is that so much to ask?_

Shuichi glanced away, looking at the ground. "Yuki would have called me. Just why are you here? Is it about last night?" Glancing at him, Shuichi said, "If you are trying to tell me you—"

"SHUICHI! HURRY YOUR ASS UP OR WE'RE LEAVING YOU BEHIND!" K screamed from the van they had all piled into while the conversation was going on. Someone had already started the van and Shuichi looked to Tasuha.

"Shu, please," Tasuha pleaded. "Just let me do something nice for once. I won't—"

"MR. SHINDO!" Fujisaki called. "COME ON!"

"Sorry, Tasuha, but I gotta go," Shuichi said as he ran off, jumping into the van and shutting the door.

_Damn it! Is it too much to ask, to just get Shuichi alone?_ Tasuha wiped a tear away from his eyes. _I think God really hates me. I don't think I was ever supposed to be gay._


	3. Morning Routine: Fast and Deadly?

OMG, two chapters later, I realize I did spell Tatsuha's name wrong. Whoops. I guess I shouldn't look at American DVDs so much :p

Anyway, here's part three of a supposed to be one shot fanfiction, with more of the members of Bad Luck that you love so much! And thank you for the reviews, Luciver! If you read and like, please leave a review!

As a note, Gravitation is not mine, though I wish that Eiri was. However, the woman reporter character is mine, so don't use her without my permission please.

And now, back to the story . . .

* * *

Eiri sighed as he heard his cellphone going off for the third time this morning. Taking it out of his pocket, he checked it and found it to be Shuichi. Pleasantly surprised, he answered it, clicking the receive button as he said, "Hello?" he smiled. 

"Yuki!" Shuichi cried. "I honestly didn't mean to call you, but did you tell Tatsuha that he was picking me up instead of him? He said your editor was meeting with you ASAP and met me at work to tell me!"

Eiri's smile suddenly disappeared. "Why was Tatsuha at work in the first place, you damn brat?" This had to be serious, if Tatsuha had come to his work. "Did he want tickets to Ryuichi's movie or something? I swear, my brother's an idiot." He moved over to a good corner of the room and glanced at a woman with a microphone. "Hold on," he told him as he walked over to the woman.

"So you think Bad Luck will be here soon, Mr. Yuki?" she asked. "Or will they be later then usual?"

Eiri laughed. _Shuichi, punctual? Never happens unless something's wrong. But he might be today, and that would definitely scare the hell out of me._ "Well, I assume they are still coming."

"Well, we air in ten minutes, Mr. Yuki. We need to get you ready for the television," the reporter informed him. "After your phone call, of course."

"Thanks. It's kind of important," Eiri honestly said. "Thank you for not being an advent fangirl ready to jump on me or sleep with me the first chance you get." Then he moved back over to the corner of the studio, sat in the chair and said, "Now, why was my brother at work again?"

But the phone line was already dead.

* * *

"Shuichi," Hiro asked, "what happened out there? Why was Tatsuha at N-G Studios?" He had watched Shuichi frantically call Eiri and cry over Tatsuha coming to work. Hiro had suspected that Eiri's brother was trying to play a trick on Eiri and did not want Shuichi involved. "You panicked on the phone. And you still won't stop crying." 

Shuichi wiped some of the tears away from his eyes. Fujisaki just looked at him and K continued to drive, acting like he wasn't paying attention.

"Well, something happened last night, Hiro. I won't say what it was right now, but it had something to do with Yuki and Tatsuha. I have to find out the truth about it, and until I know what it is, I can't talk about it." Shuichi had smiled again, getting over his third crying spell of the day. "But we're going to kick ass at the studio! We get to play our new song today!"

"…I still don't understand how you can be upset one minute, and hyped up the next, Mr. Shindo," Fujisaki remarked. "It's unnerving."

"So is seeing Shuichi depressed," Hiro countered. "You get used to this sort of thing. I thought you would have by now, Fujisaki. It's been a few years since Bad Luck got together."

The tires squealed as K made a sudden stop and all three of them fell bodily forward, hitting the seat in front of them. In Shuichi's case, he had fallen between the seats and hit the dashboard, right next to K. This caused him to have a slight nosebleed and the boy was crying once again.

"At least he has a reason to cry now," Fujisaki said, handing Shuichi a handkerchief as he got out of the van. "I would too, if it nearly broke my nose."

The long haired guitarist snickered. "Even though you don't want to admit it, you're worried about Shuichi as well. It's nice to know. Maybe if you weren't so mean to him, he might notice it too." Then he walked over to the building they stopped at and blinked. "A bookstore, K?"

"No you idiot, the building AFTER the bookstore," K said. "Koinawa Publications. They have a studio there."

"But it's…" Hiro was about to say when Shuichi gasped.

"YUKI'S CAR!" Shuichi ran over to it to hug it and look inside when K pulled him back by the back of his shirt. "K! IT MEANS HE'S HERE AND I HAVE TO TALK TO HIM AND I---AND I---AND I---"

"Calm down, Shuichi," K said harshly. "You know the rules if Mr. Seguchi heard you screaming Yuki's name. Now control yourself. You have two minutes to get in that bookstore and on the 5th floor."

Shuichi's demeanor changed immediately and his eyes were full of determination. "All right! Come on!" And he ran into the building, trying to let Hiro and Fujisaki catch up with him.

"It really is unnerving," Fujisaki muttered once more, glancing at Hiro. "Can't he be a little bit normal?"

Hiro shrugged. "I'd hurry up and run if I was you. K might start—" Hiro ran as soon as he heard a gunshot going off from behind the two. "SHOOTING AT US!"

"DAMN IT, I'M GOING!" Fujisaki yelled, running behind Hiro. "I COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN A NORMAL MANAGER WHO ISN'T A CRAZY AMERICAN?"

K sadistically smiled and pulled the trigger again, pushing the sunglasses up on his nose. "Man, now that's how I like to start a morning."

* * *

Shuichi, Hiro and Fujisaki panted for breath as they reached the studio and jumped into the nearest elevator. They both were surprised when Shuichi didn't break the buttons because he slammed them so hard. But to their luck, they landed on the 5th floor with three minutes left to spare. 

They ran for the door and as Shuichi was about to open it, Hiro and Fujisaki banged into him, knocking the vocalist out of the way and busting down the door. The other two fell on their face as they fell with the door and Shuichi stood up, brushing dirt off his yellow jacket. He frowned that his pink shirt and tiny jean shorts had dirt on them and wiped them off as well. "At least we made it."

"AT LEAST WE MADE IT!" Fujisaki was now having a conniption fit as he grabbed Shuichi and bodily threw him against the wall. "What the hell kind of band did I sign with! I really should've just—"

"One would think you're coming onto Mr. Shindo, Mr. Fujisaki," a woman's voice spoke, "from the way you are pinning the boy. Isn't he property of Eiri Yuki?"

The three turned around and saw that a woman was watching them, her hands behind her back. She was dressed in a short black dress, with a silver bracelet on her arm that hung down from her hand. Her glasses were at the end of her nose and her blue eyes were mischievous. She pushed a strand of wavy brown hair to the back of her ear and stood up straight, revealing a microphone in her hand. "I suggest you get yourselves in order before going on the show. We wouldn't want the public to see this outburst, would we?" The smile on her lips was small, and she turned away from them to look at the door. "Hurry on up. You guys have a minute to get yourselves together."

Fujisaki had released Shuichi when she was talking and had composed himself together, walking toward the door like Hiro was doing. Hiro, however, was shaking his head and was trying to counsel Fujisaki about controlling his temper as they walked. Only Shuichi was left standing there, alone with the woman and was surprised about the whole encounter.

_This must be the only woman who never asked me to hug her, give her an autograph, or press into the relationship I have with Yuki. This is amazing. Something's going right today!_ But he stopped thinking this as she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Lemme go!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Shindo. Nothing bad will happen to you today. I'm just a reporter, or rather, a rival to Eiri in romantic writing." She smiled as she let him go and headed with him into the studio. "Eiri and I talk once in a while, but nothing substantial. That is, until I landed myself a career in reporting in Tokyo after journalism school."

He stopped. "You mean, you're an American? Like K?" Shuichi backed away a few steps, thinking she might be just as insane as K was. "Tell me you don't have a revolver on your or something!"

The woman laughed loudly. "No way! But I do know how it is to have cameras on you all the time, and that's why I won't ask you any questions until we get on the show. Speaking of which, it's time to air our program. Please get yourself ready, Mr. Shindo." With that, she headed off to the stage and cameras that the program would be aired on.

_Oh man. This is one hell of a wacky day!_ Shuichi thought to himself as he hurried to where Hiro and Fujisaki were. But as he walked, he bumped into someone, since he had his eyes closed as he walked.

"Shu. We need to talk," the person said and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from where Shuichi was walking. He had covered his mouth and when Shuichi fought him, he picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. "HEY!"

"Relax, Shuichi," the person repeated, putting his costume pink paw on his back. "After all, you can't say hi to me anymore? I came back in Japan especially to see you!"


	4. Kidnapping for the Sake of Love

I promise they'll be more Eiri in this chapter and Tatsuha! I really can't help how the story turned. I had written down some of it but it obviously didn't go as planned.

And who is the mysterious romance novelist turned reporter at Koinawa Publications? What connection does she have to our mysterious Eiri Yuki? And why is there life threatening action in this chapter?

As a note, Gravitation is not mine, though I wish that Eiri was. And maybe Ryuichi. The novelist/reporter woman belongs to me. And in one part, Shuichi is supposed to be speaking in all caps. Please don't kill me.

If you like, please leave a review. Feedback is appreciated.

* * *

It was this that made Shuichi glance down and at the man who was wearing the outfit of his damnable pink bear. "Ryuichi Sakuma?" 

Ryuichi smiled, looking at Shuichi's form and put him down. "Well, yeah! I tried calling, but you didn't answer your phone." The older man laughed and had now started to put Shuichi down as he headed for an open window. "I wanted to see if we could play today!" The excitement in his voice turned serious at the next sentence. "But since you're busy, I guess I'll have to take you with me in order to talk to you."

The pink haired rock star started backing away slowly as Ryuichi said this. "…ahh but Ryuichi…I'm about to do an interview. I can't just walk off on this, you kn----WAHHH!" He was picked up again by Ryuichi.

"Forget your interview. You don't want to see Eiri again. He's just using you."

Shuichi stopped screaming as he glanced at Ryuichi. This side of Ryuichi was scaring him. He honestly did not need someone else telling him that he was not good enough for Eiri, or rather, that he was being used by the man he loved.

"Don't tell me that, Ryuichi. Put me down. I have something to do and---SHIIIIIIIIT!" he screamed as Ryuichi threw him out the open window.

"You better catch him, Tatsuha. This is all part of your idea," Ryuichi whispered as he took off the costume and ran towards the nearest set of stairs, hoping to catch Shuichi in time. "If anyone but Eiri can love him, then Shuichi will be happier. But I'm hoping it's me, and not you, Tatsuha."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the studio, Hiro was worried. Shuichi usually was late, but he was not that far behind him when they had arrived. It had been ten minutes later and the show had already started. He swore that when the commercial came on, he would bash Shuichi's head in thoroughly. 

"So how is your recording on your new album?" the woman asked, sitting in a comfortable brown recliner chair. "Rumor has it that a song written by Eiri Yuki will be sung by Bad Luck. Is this true?"

Fujisaki, who seemed to be the one answering all the questions, nodded. "Yes. He actually insisted on letting Mr. Shindo sing the lyrics, since he thought Mr. Shindo needed some inspiration." Hiro could see Fujisaki's eyes dart toward the door after every question.

"Well, folks, it seems that Bad Luck will hit the charts in the top ten again. But after this, we'll be talking more about Bad Luck's album, and to a very special guest! So stay tuned!" Smiling, the woman let the commercial cut before glaring at the two other Bad Luck members. "Where the hell is Mr. Shindo?"

"That's what we like to know," Hiro told her. "He was with you."

"And he wasn't very far behind," she had responded. "We can't very well do a world-wide search for him within 40 minutes left of the show." She looked rather worried as she stood up and brushed off her dress. "But I think I know someone who ca—"

Her words were drowned out by someone's screaming near a window.

"SHIIIIIIIIT!"

A wave of pink passed them if they watched close enough, and all three of them were. It was followed by someone crashing into the studio and yelling frantically. "Hiro, Fujisaki! It seems that someone's trying to kidnap Shuichi! Come on!" The blonde haired American then ran out the door, magnum in hand.

"It's only on good days, on actual television shows, that someone decides to kidnap Mr. Shindo," Fujisaki muttered. "This isn't live, is it, Miss…"

"Marian. And no, taped. Given the circumstances, go on ahead. I shall be going along with you in a moment. Let me wrap things up here."

The other two did not really hear her as they had run out the door before her sentence was over.

Marian picked up her Motorola cell phone and had dialed a phone number. "Hello, Eiri? Do you think you can come to the studio for a moment? It seems something happened to Mr. Shindo."

* * *

"_SHIIIT!"_

Shuichi's thoughts, as anyone would think, were not coherent at this point in time. After all, when you are falling from a high height, you always think you are going to die. And this is what our vocalist was thinking right now as he was frantically trying to slow his fall.

"_WHY WOULD RYUICHI THROW ME OUT THE WINDOW AND WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE AND HOW WILL YUKI TAKE IT WHEN THEY TELL HIM SOMEONE KIND OF KILLED ME BY THROWING ME OUT THE WINDOW!"_

He had grabbed onto a window ledge before, but gravity had pulled him down, along with nearly breaking two of his fingers. Shuichi had let go, and was trying to think on what the hell was going to happen to him. He had really wanted to sing Eiri's lyrics on the show today, but it looks like he was only going to die instead.

"RYUICHI, IF THIS IS YOUR IDEA OF A GAME, IT'S NOT FUCKING FUNNY, YOU PRIIIICK!" Truth be told, Shuichi was scared of heights at a very high length. He also was scared of falling to his death, as he was doing now.

As he fell, he looked down and noticed that a black haired man with a jacket was smirking as he moved under Shuichi. Shuichi panicked more. Not that he might not die, but at the fact that Ryuichi was planning something more then just a talk.

"YOU FUCKER! MOVE AWAY, TATSUHA! I'D RATHER DIE THEN LET HIM SEE ME WITH YOU!"

But it was over in a minute. Shuichi was caught by Tatsuha, and, from the shock of the whole thing, had fainted in Tatsuha's arms.

"Got him, Ryuichi. Get your ass down here before my brother shows up," he muttered.

* * *

"What exactly happened!" Eiri did not mask the concern he felt for him. "Did he make it there? Where is he now, Marian!" He gripped the cellphone tighter with each moment, hoping that Shuichi was alright.

"Run outside. Just outside the building. We saw him falling," he heard her say, her voice cracking. "Get to him in time, Eiri." Then the phone went dead.

"The fuck is going on here?" Eiri asked himself as he ran out the door to the studio. He luckily was going outside for a cigarette break, since Marian was allergic to smoke, and had decided to hang outside the studio for Shuichi to show up. But he forgot about his nicotine craving as he saw another person standing outside, looking at something rather interesting.

"MOVE AWAY, TATSUHA! I'D RATHER DIE THEN LET HIM SEE ME WITH YOU!"

_Shuichi! Tatsuha! What the hell is going on here? He's stealing my piece of ass!_

…_wait, Eiri. He's not just your piece of ass, remember?_ He told himself as he watched Tatsuha catch him tightly, smirking. _You fell in love with him. You told Tatsuha that you'd beat his ass if he tried to take him. So why do you hesitate now?_

_Don't you want to be someone Shuichi isn't afraid to talk to when he's upset or thinks something's going on? Do you want him to just come to you instead of writing signs that say "Drop dead" and having him in a kowtow position for four hours, begging for forgiveness?_

_Do you actually love him, or are you running away again? He's not Yuki, he's Shuichi. And you can love both. You can do something this time, so do it, Eiri!_

All the thoughts ran through his head as he saw Shuichi faint from the shock of everything. He also noticed that the boy was not breathing so well and had ran out toward Tatsuha as he told Ryuichi to show up before Eiri did.

"Tatsuha," he growled, stepping within his vision, "let Shuichi go."

* * *

_Damn it, I really didn't think he was coming to this publication office!_ Tatsuha frantically thought as he hugged Shuichi close to him. "Not a chance in hell, Bro. After all, he really doesn't need to be with you."

Eiri's eyes had glared lightning at his brother. He had remembered the encounter at the house, and in his car. He really wished that Ryuichi would come down so that he could take care of Eiri while they loaded him up in the car.

"I told you. Shuichi is mine. I told you, didn't I?" He had walked closer to Tatsuha, slowly. Threateningly. "And you didn't listen. I don't understand how you can be such an idiot."

"Shuichi doesn't need someone as psychotic as you loving him," Tatsuha responded. "He needs gentle love, as only I or Ryuichi could give him."

"What does Sakuma have to do with this!" Eiri yelled, not caring who heard him in the street. "He's in New York, filming some movie! Is this all for the tickets to go an—"

Tatsuha had saw Ryuichi run out of the building and hit Eiri in the head with something. It was enough to make the novelist pass out, whatever it was. He could not figure it out but Ryuichi had saved him a hell of a lot of trouble. "Thanks."

"Hurry up, and get his ass in the car before Eiri wakes up," Ryuichi growled. "This was all YOUR idea, remember, Tatsuha? Besides, you said it'd be a fun little game."

Tatsuha smiled. "It is, Ryuichi. Don't pout about it yet."

"Good, cause I won't lose, Tatsuha. Shu will be mine," he said as he got into Eiri's car. "Bring Shu in and make sure he can't get out. We really need to get Eiri out of his mind."

_Somehow, I rather have been beat up by Eiri then be stuck with the psychotic Ryuichi,_ Tatsuha thought as he got into the car and locked the car doors. He saw in the rear view mirror that Ryuichi had picked up Shuichi's cell phone and was playing with it. "What the hell are you doing? Don't call anyone on his phone!"

"I'm not! I'm playing his Tetris game!" Ryuichi told him. "I don't have Tetris on my phone!" He went back to playing it and smiling happily.

_I swear, it's like giving a five year old a gun. Ryuichi's mood changes from happy to psychotic in five seconds or less. Just what did I get myself into?_


	5. Tohma's Evil Plan B

Alright guys, thanks for reviewing this story! I've only started writing it since Monday and it's already a 20 page story…which was only supposed to be three. And it's had over 1,000 hits! Thanks to all the readers out there!

I'm taking a break from Tatsuha, Ryuichi and Shuichi in this chapter, because we finally see the President of N-G Productions, Tohma Seguchi! The President seems to have a little surprise in store for our members of Bad Luck, but is it good news, or bad?

So to my reviewers, here goes:

**Luciver**: Here's more updates for you. :p Thank you for pushing me to do more chapters! If you need to talk about it, IM me sometime again and I'd be happy to talk to you some more.

**Ichigo Pocky**: I'm glad you like the story. It's supposed to be funny, because let's face it. Gravitation had me laughing my ass off at Shuichi's antics. But it's what keeps people loving him, ne?

**Amythest00**: I'm glad you like how it's being written. Gravitation was kind of crazy and I wanted to stick to something everyone was familiar with. After all, it would scare me if Shuichi had a normal day. It really would.

**AngelofLight**: I replied to your review, so check your inbox. But Ryuichi is funny. I have to admit that.

**shu-chan77901**: Thanks for your review and I'm glad you like it.

**To the rest of you**: Here's another update! Let's see what's happening with Bad Luck in the meantime. Poor Hiro, and Eiri.

As usual, I don't own Gravitation, but I own Marian, my original character for this story…and if I take over the world, maybe Eiri's soul. :p

--------------

By the time they had gotten down to the first floor, they saw Eiri Yuki's car pulling away from the building and hightailing it out of the scene. There was no Shuichi to be found as Hiro came down first, stopping to look around. Fujisaki pushed him out of the way, as he could not slow down, and he moved out of K's way, who glanced at Eiri laying on the ground, knocked out cold.

"This is unusual. It appears that Mr. Yuki's car was taken, and Mr. Shindo has disappeared. Whoever the assailant was was intent on harm," Fujisaki said a moment later as he walked over to Eiri's form, seeing the blood that had came from the wound. "And it's a good cut too."

"Move away from Eiri."

Fujisaki turned around to see Marian barreling down the stairs, with bare feet and her heels in one hand. The other had her cellphone and on her waist was a little dagger that was in its sheath, which was normally hidden. She ran over to Eiri, like Fujisaki had, and inspected the novelist. "He's not breathing well, either. I suggest we take him to the nearest medical facility." She began ripping material from her dress to cover up Eiri's head. It did not show off anything, but it left something to the imagination.

"I was going to suggest that," Fujisaki muttered as he watched the woman wrapping his head up. "Shouldn't you leave injured people alone? You could make it worse."

"And having him bleed to death on the concrete will make it any better," Marian snapped. "Just go to the side. You're really not helping matters, Mr. Fujisaki."

Hiro had just watched the whole thing, seeing tire tracks that had been left behind and blinked. "Someone did some serious damage to Mr. Yuki's tires, guys. They hauled ass to get out of here."

"I would too, if I pissed off Eiri," Marian said, done wrapping up Eiri's head. "Not many people piss him off and can walk away in one piece." Her voice shook as she checked his pulse again and checked to see where Eiri's wallet was. She wanted to check to see if he had a written documentation of his medication, in case they called an ambulance.

K, meanwhile, was on the phone with the paramedics, informing them of the address that they needed to get to and who their patient was. When he was done with that he hung up and dialed another number. "The paramedics should be on their way, guys. We need to stick around, since I'm calling the police about this and Tohma. He'll want to know why Bad Luck wasn't aired tomorrow as planned."

"The last thing Eiri needs is Tohma on him," Marian hissed. "But I guess it can't be helped."

"Where do you know him so well?" Hiro asked, now standing against the wall. "You seem to know him as a friend rather then someone on the sidelines." As he asked this, two teenage school girls saw them and gasped, running off. "And it looks like we'll need to book it and fast. We're drawing attention like this, K."

They heard the whirl of sirens coming toward them and K smiled. "Don't worry, the paramedics will do that for us. Just stay here." The phone stopped ringing and K said, "Hey, Tohma, it's K. Listen, I kind of have bad news."

----------------

Tohma Seguchi was a man who liked things to go his way. Sitting in his office, he had heard the phone ring and his secretary answered. "Mr. Seguchi, it's K, the manager of Bad Luck. I told him you did not want to be disturbed, but he says it's about Mr. Yuki and Mr. Shindo."

_Eiri? If anything happened to him, I'll kill Shindo._ It stopped him from listening to a new group's trial tape as he said, "Put him on the line, Akia. Thank you." He waited a moment before speaking. "Seguchi here."

"Hey, Tohma, it's K. Listen, I kind of have some bad news." He noted that K sounded a little worried, not like the confident man he saw coming into the studio every day with Bad Luck. This definitely got Tohma's attention.

"Go on. I'm listening." He hung onto the phone, hoping that something good was going to come out of all this. He had already heard that Ryuichi had come back to Japan and that he was not supposed to be on vacation yet. As if things could get worse, Ryuichi had hung around Tohma's office half the day just to annoy him. His patience was starting to wear thin.

"Shindo's been kidnapped."

Tohma stopped breathing. If anything happened to Shindo, half his record sales would go down. Despite the fact that Shindo did not write good lyrics, his singing made up for it, as well as the talent of his cousin and his best friend. Not only that, but Eiri's sanity would slowly become unglued.

A tiny part of him was worried about the boy, however. That part he tried to block out, but the more he heard, the less he could push it away.

"Apparently Mr. Yuki witnessed something, because he was hit in the head with a blunt object. I don't think Shindo knew what was going on, because someone pushed him out a window. You could hear him screaming as he fell. Apparently someone took off with him, because we couldn't get down in time to stop them."

"Did he—" Tohma tried asking.

"He never made it into the studio. He was abducted on his way to the show this morning."

"Any clues as to who would do such a thing?" Tohma said. "And how is Eiri?" Normally he would not use his brother-in-law's first name, but he was worried, after all.

"The ambulance just took him to the hospital. His friend said he wasn't breathing right and the cut on the back of his head is pretty deep. They also stole his Mercedes." K paused a moment as Tohma cursed. "I'll send Fujisaki down there now to make sure Mr. Yuki's alright. Hiro and I will come back to the office---"

Tohma sighed. "Have Suguru come back here, along with Mr. Nanako. You and I will go to the hospital, Mr. K. I will have Mr. Sanako stay with them for now. I'm sure they're both a bit worked up over this incident."

Suddenly he heard another voice on the phone.

"You're taking me too, Mr. Seguchi. I want to know if Eiri is alright as well."

The president of N-G Productions smiled. "Marian. I thought I said not to address Eiri so formally, didn't I?" He stood up as he grabbed his jacket.

"I'm his friend too. You forget, I knew him before you married Mika. Last I recall, he never yelled at me to call him Mr. Yuki. Get the stick out of your ass and don't be so protective of Eiri all the time. This wasn't the kid's fault, or Eiri's. You need to realize that."

_Damn that woman. She should have been a lesbian. Why is she still hung up on Eiri?_ Tohma smiled. "Marian, you don't need to be so rude. I'm less protective. I have an important proposition for you."

"It's Miss Tamika, Mr. Seguchi. And I will talk to you about it when we arrive at the hospital. I do apologize for my outburst." Then the phone went dead.

He put on his jacket and dialed another number into the phone. _Maybe she just is a friend, but none of this should have happened. And damn it, I can't blame Shindo. For once._ "Hello, Mika? It's Tohma. I know you're alone, but can you get a babysitter? I'm afraid Eiri's been rushed to the hospital."

-------

"Fujisaki, Hiroshi. I need you two to go back to the studio. Mr. Sakano will be waiting for you. Explain things to him if Tohma already has not. Then wait for me to go back to the studio." K looked at everyone as he said this. "Miss. Tamika, if you will come with me, please."

Marian nodded.

"Wait a minute!" Fujisaki yelled. "Can't we look for him too? The song has to be recorded! I mean, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Stop panicking and just go back, Fujisaki."

Fujisaki's eyes glanced at Hiro, who happened to be the calmest person about the situation. "How—"

"This is why we're named Bad Luck. It always turns out for the best. Just go on back to the van and I'll meet you there. Maybe we can think of something when we drive back." As Fujisaki left, Hiro sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do with him."

Marian shook her head, watching it all unravel. "Is it always like this? Him being a tight-ass, I mean?"

"Every day of the week," K muttered. "Do you get why I carry a gun with me now?"

"No, but get him drunk once in a while. He might loosen up enough to have a date," Marian said. "Although, he might be helpful in this case. Hiro, take him with you, but loosen him up, okay? I don't need to get thrown in jail for killing an idiot."

Hiro smiled. "Well, when you put it that way, Miss. Tamika, then I guess I have no choice. But he usually is calmer once we start working. It's all that seems to take focus in his life." Hiro waved as he walked off, laughing softly under his breath as he headed to the van.

---------

"So I guess it's just two," K said. "That's good. But they took our only vehicle." Looking to Marian, he said, "I assume you have a vehicle that we can borrow?"

"Yes, if you don't mind the Ford models," she replied, walking over to the blue car that was next to the studio. "I just got myself one. It's beat up, but it gets me to where I need to go." She looked around and opened the door for K. "Can I lapse into English now, for a little while? I know Japanese, but I'm—"

"Of course," he answered, stepping into the car. "It's hard, I can understand."

Marian closed the door and had gone into the driver's side, turning the volume down on her MP3 player. "I guess I can't very well listen to Shining Collection in the car," she laughed. "It's inspirational when you deal with assholes on the ride home." She took her knife off the belt and put it in the glove box, where her small gun was as well.

K nodded. "So how do you know Eiri?"

She started the car and shut the glove box. "We're writers. He's a novelist, I'm aspiring. I do write books, but right now I'm in journalism to take a break from it. He and I are rivals." Pulling out of the parking lot, she then made a sharp left and raced down the street. "But we became somewhat of good friends and since then, have left our friendship at that."

"And you yelling at Tohma accomplished what, exactly?"

Marian chose not to answer, instead stopping abruptly at a red light. The guy behind her honked his horn and she ignored him.

"Something happened with you and Eiri for Tohma to say something and it pissed you off," K pressed on. "Were you ever in a relationship with Eiri?"

"…no," Marian answered as she watched the light turn green and she drove. "I saw him having one of his episodes. When he was a bit…loopy." She did not know a better word to describe it, so she continued. "He was coughing up blood in my apartment, in New York. He had come to visit for the week, taking some time off work, he said. So we agreed to have dinner together, catch up on some things and he was looking at my first book. That was three years ago."

K laughed. "And Tohma hates you for that?"

"Tohma hates anyone who knows about Eiri's past, I think. I just kind of…found out without asking." The woman had slammed her brakes and had turned another left, glaring at the street. K yelped as he moved bodily in his seat. "Sorry."

"Watch it. You're worse then I am at driving!"

Marian's cellphone rang and she picked it up between her emergency brake and her seat. "Hello?" She seemed to be able to drive and talk at the same time as she moved her hand to stay in her lane. "I can't right now. I'm in the middle of an emergency and I'm driving. Can I call you back?" A pause. "Don't know if I can call you back tonight but will within the next few days. Thanks." Then she hung up the phone. "Damn editors."

K laughed again, taking off his sunglasses. "The last thing you need is an editor."

Marian huffed. "They're a pain in the ass, especially when you don't want them to find you. Anyway, we're almost there." She stopped at another red light as she heard her phone go off again. "Damn it!" She flipped the phone up and answered it. "Hello?"

"Miss. Tamika, we need to talk," the voice of Tohma Seguchi came into her ear. "I'm on the other side of your car. You just passed the hospital. Turn around and park there. Mika will take care of parking your car."

As he talked she looked around for a place to park her car close to the hospital. The hell if she was letting him have her way with her new car. True, it did not look the greatest, but she knew the brother-in-law of Eiri Yuki. And she knew that he could be a manipulative bastard when he wanted to be. "I see you. And a parking spot. I will park my own car, thank you very much." And in one fluid motion, she had hung up the cellphone, parked the car in the empty parking spot, put the emergency brake on and put the car in park. "Ok, K, get out now."

"I should take lessons driving from you," he replied, lapsing into his Japanese as he opened the car door. He then greeted Tohma and nodded. "Mr—"

"Can we have a moment, Mr. K? Miss. Tamika and I have something to discuss. We'll join you in a moment." Tohma nodded his head to Marian. "I must also apologize for my tone earlier on the phone with you. I had forgotten that you can be as stubborn as Eiri."

--------

Marian smiled, her eyes cold. "Indeed. I know of you, Mr. Seguchi, but never want to cross you. Now, what was this arrangement that you needed to discuss with me?"

"I'll get straight to it, then," Tohma answered, taking off his hat. "I need you to be the vocalist for Bad Luck until we can find Mr. Shindo. He needs to have his last song recorded by tomorrow, and if they don't, they will postpone the album. It is imperative that he has that record done."

"Why can't you get Hiroshi to do it, or Mr. Fujisaki?" she asked. "I am not a vocalist. I'm a novelist and a journalist if you remember."

"You also used to sing before, didn't you?" Tohma glared at her. "I remember, you used to be a famous singer in America before you _threw it away _to become a writer." He lingered on the sentence as she flinched. "But don't fret on that. I can make you famous again. Your manager was horrible, I admit. I saw that when he came to Toyko. But if it was not for that incident, you would have been able to come here, under N-G."

Marian glared at him. "I thought you were going to leave that alone."

Tohma looked at her coldly. "I need results. And I need them by tomorrow. And the only person who can pull it off is you. If you don't . . . then I'll make sure that your books are never sold again."

The woman sighed, looking down at the pavement and took her glasses off to glance at him coldly. "That's it? The idle threat? What's to say I can just go back to America and sell my books there?"

"What if I told your publisher that you had a hand in whatever happened to Eiri?"

The gasp from her was what Tohma was waiting for as he continued, a hand on his chin, as if thinking the whole matter through.

"They wouldn't be so inclined to publish a book by an aggressive woman who happens to critically injure one of the most famous romance novelists in the world, would they? Especially since he has agreed to write lyrics for Bad Luck in this album."

"All the more reason why I should not be singing them!" Marian threw at him. "Eiri put his heart into those lyrics—"

Tohma laughed as he adjusted his jacket. He saw K coming over and he put his hand up, indicating that he should stay back. K did. "Don't throw me that shit, Miss. Tamika. Eiri probably did it to get the boy to leave him alone. After all, he's just a piece of ass to him and nothing more. I expect you at the studio tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. If not . . . well. We both know how that goes." He had turned around, indicating that the conversation was over.

As he walked off, K had came over to the woman and had put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Tohma's just pissed off right now. I don't think he meant half of what was said."

"Either way . . . I have no choice," Marian said, looking at Tohma enter the hospital. "His brother-in-law is one hell of an asshole. I don't know how Eiri puts up with him."

"That's why there's Shuichi."

"Tohma's wrong, you know," she said as she walked toward the hospital. K walked with her, still leaving his hand on her shoulder. She was trembling with rage. "If Eiri didn't put his heart into those lyrics, why would he bother writing the song? He's been asked many times to write lyrics, and doesn't agree to. Doesn't that tell you something?" Her eyes had sparked in anger as she walked through the hospital doors. "What if I sing it, and both of them get pissed at me?"

K sighed. "Calm down. We'll think of something." He had walked over to the check in counter and let Marian's shoulder go. She just stood there as he asked what room Eiri Uesugi was in. When he was denied knowledge, he started banging his hand on the desk. It was then that she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Miss, can you direct me to the room that Mr. Uesugi is in? I'm a friend of his. We came in with Mr. Seguchi and got detained."

The secretary nodded. "Oh, he did say there were others with him. Room 218, on the 3rd floor."

"Arigato," she said as she pulled K off, him scratching his head.

They hurried to the elevator to get to his room. There had to be some clues to piece together who kidnapped Shuichi. And they had only one night to do it, unless they could prolong the recording.


	6. Ryuichi Sakuma: Driver's Nightmare

Once again, guys, thank you so much for you wonderful reviews, even if they are on both sides of the pond. The story went from 6 to 16 just overnight! That makes me happy that you guys enjoy the story so much.

A couple of notes here, since I feel I need to address some things.

_**For those who are just joining in**:_ Go read Chapter One. I had someone PM me yesterday about why it made no sense when they read 3-5 and then flamed me for it. So please, read the entire story. I don't mean to be mean about it, but just save yourself the trouble of confusion.

**_Summary so far_**: Eiri Yuki is in the hospital after Ryuichi Sakuma has nailed him in the head with something. Meanwhile, Tatsuha and Ryuichi have kidnapped Shuichi Shindo and taken off with Eiri's Mercedes. Tohma has brought a new plan to light to keep his record sales boosting. What will happen to Bad Luck without Shuichi Shindo?

And what will happen to him in the car with Ryuichi behind the wheel?

So here I go again, responding to my reviewers:

**Pickled Relish**: Thanks for your wonderful critiques. It feels good to know that other authors can have a different viewpoint on the same story. I actually enjoy learning new sides to the story. You also got a PM if you didn't check it yet.

**AngelofLight and Mustang123 **: You both have a PM in your inbox, in answer to your review.

**gravitationgig and Amythest00**: Thanks a lot!

JulinX: Thank you very much. I didn't want to go for angsty. Or just all angsty. I'm trying to be funny too.

**To everyone else**: Thank you for still reading!

**Poll question for the audience**: I can't decide on whether we should have Eiri record the song for Shuichi, or have Marian do it. I'd like to include you guys on this matter, so please leave your review or PM about if you like.

Special thanks goes to my mom and **Luciver** for helping me with the car scenes for Ryuichi and Tatsuha. (Yes, my mother does watch Gravitation and read fanfiction.) As another note, I will confess that _no one dies_ in this chapter, no matter what cliffhanger I leave you all off on.

And now, onto Chapter Six. I don't think the author's notes will be this long in the next part, thank goodness.

--------------

Tatsuha was driving Eiri's Mercedes, hating the fact that Ryuichi had to be so loud. The fact that he also was having trouble driving the car was another factor and the noise was not helping him any. After hearing the music to Tetris through Shuichi's two tone phone he was ready to go insane, despite the fact that he worshipped the ground that Ryuichi had walked on. "Ryuichi, can you turn that damn thing off?" he asked for the fifth time as he pressed the petal to go past a green light. "It's irritating."

"But Kumagoro wanted to play with his phone too!" Ryuichi pouted. Tatsuha could see through the rear view mirror that he was almost ready to cry. "I could turn it down, if you want, Tatsu."

The man smiled. "Please." His voice shook slightly. "If I hear it for another full minute, I think I'll go bananas."

"Where are we going, Tatsuha?" Ryuichi turned serious as he hugged Kumagoro and had tried to turn down the cellphone. He ended up going to the menu of online games on Shuichi's phone provider instead and squealed in delight. "More games, Mr. Kumagoro! Which one do you want to try?"

"Damn it, Ryuichi," he said, looking away from the street and turning around. "Stop. With. The. Cellphone."

Ryuichi pointed to the street. "Watch out, Tatsu—you're going to hit those two people standing there."

"WHAT!" Tatsuha spun around and slammed the brakes. He had stopped just in time, but he had, in the process, slammed the car against a curb. The two people screamed and ran off. "Damnit!" he yelled. "I hope a cop didn't see us."

Ryuichi was still playing with the cellphone as he glanced to the still passed out Shuichi. "He has Centipede on here too? Wow, he's got lots of---"

"GOD DAMN IT, RYUICHI SAKUMA!" Tatsuha turned back around to face him and his face turned red. "Don't you care that we almost killed two people?" The man had his hands in fists and had tried to calm his breathing. "Put the fucking phone down, you idiot!"

The brown haired man glanced up and smiled. "But you didn't kill them, Tatsu. You just kind of almost ran them over." And he clicked on the game, beginning to play it. "Do you want me to drive? Maybe then you can calm down. Mr. Kumagoro and I don't like when you're upset, Tatsuha."

_If you weren't so oblivious like Shuichi, maybe you'd see that you make me upset!_ Tatsuha thought._ Maybe I couldn't handle Shuichi, but you know, I can't tell Ryuichi that. He thinks that this is all one big game. And it's FUN for him to go on car rides like this…_ "Ryuichi."

He looked up for a moment before hearing Shuichi moaning on the side of him. Quickly he tried to exit out of the games menu as he asked, "Yeah, Tatsu?"

"What in the hell makes you think I'm going to let you drive?"

Ryuichi placed the cellphone back in Shuichi's pocket and had scratched his head. "Well, I kind of just got my license…"

_Who in their right mind would give Ryuichi Sakuma a license? That's like giving Shuichi one! They both just…no._ "Really now?" he asked, smiling as he saw Shuichi waking up. "Do you want to drive then, Ryuichi?"

Ryuichi was excited as he pulled out his wallet, trying to find a better spot for it. "Yeah! Sure! And you tell me where we're going, cause you still haven't told me."

"Good, I'll get out and we can exchange places. Besides, it looks like Shuichi is waking up." Tatsuha unbuckled his seat belt and had opened the front door to the car. "Hurry up, Ryuichi!"

-------

Shuichi groaned as he heard voices from where he was. He was not sure what was going on, since his memory was a little blurry from the events that had happened to that day. All he remembered was falling, and Tatsuha and Ryuichi and going to—

"Hurry up, Ryuichi!" he heard Tatsuha's voice.

"_Yuki!" _Shuichi cried at the same time that Tatsuha was talking. His violet eyes opened and he saw that Ryuichi had the car door open, getting out of the car. He also saw that Tatsuha was getting out and they were hurrying to exchange places, it seemed. He had been trying to figure out what was going on and if he could get out of the car. But they had exchanged places too quickly and he heard car doors slam.

Tatsuha had patted Shuichi's head and grinned. "And Sleeping Beauty is awake again. How are you, Shu?"

"How am I?" Shuichi yelled. "I got thrown out of a window and you ask how I am!" He tried to get up but Tatsuha had pushed him back down. "What are you doing?" he asked as Tatsuha put the seat belt around his waist. "Get off me, you sick—"

"Ryuichi's driving."

Shuichi gulped. He could see where this was going. His life flashed before his eyes for a moment as Ryuichi started the car back up. "Hey, Ryuichi." He glanced at him. "Do you have a license?"

Ryuichi had been buckling Kumagoro up in the passenger's seat. "Shu!" He waved in the rear view mirror. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not! What the hell am I doing here, anyway?" Shuichi was scared, angry and hurt all at the same time. Scared because he thought Ryuichi would kill them behind the wheel, angry because he was taken away from Yuki and work for that matter, and hurt because his ribs hurt from when he fell and Tatsuha caught him. He held one side of his ribs to breathe a bit normally. "Why are you driving? And---"

As he said his next sentence, Ryuichi had locked the car doors, child locking the back doors. Shuichi screamed in frustration as Tatsuha glanced at Ryuichi. "Are you done?"

"Yeah. Kumagoro's buckled in."

"Then let's get going—" Tatsuha started.

"MY LICENSE! I found it!" Ryuichi bellowed as he looked through his wallet. It took him a minute, but he pulled out something that was pink, shiny, and had a picture of Ryuichi and Kumagoro on it. Shuichi had glanced at it and gulped when Ryuichi gave it to Tatsuha. "See, I told you I had it!"

It was a pink piece of construction paper that was laminated with a two by two photo of Ryuichi. The rest of the license he had drew with crayons, making doodles and designs on it. On the bottom it had a paw print for a seal of approval. The information that Ryuichi scribbled was in faded watercolor marker.

"Ryuichi, what the hell is this!" Tatsuha screamed at him. "Wait, I don't want to know. Just—"

Ryuichi had pulled the car out and smashed into another vehicle that was driving in the street. Tatsuha groaned and Shuichi paled as he heard Yuki's back end hit another car.

"…I think I'm kind of glad I have the seat belt on now, Tatsuha," Shuichi whispered.

"…I think we're all going to die," Tatsuha told him.

And Ryuichi still was at the wheel as he finally pulled into the street, two minutes and thirty seconds later.

--------

He truly did not understand why he had to face the hell he did. In just under an hour, Ryuichi had smashed into four cars, taken off the side view mirror on the passenger's side, played with every station on the radio (changing every one of them because they had nothing good on, mind you), had all the windows in the car broken, and had finally ran into a fire hydrant.

Tatsuha now knew he had to ban Ryuichi from ever driving a car again.

What was worse was that now that they ran into the fire hydrant, the car was nearly unworkable. He had stayed in the car to keep an eye on Shuichi to make sure he would not run off, but the growing crowd did that for him as Ryuichi stepped out of the car.

The black haired man knew they were doomed as he wiped glass out of his hair and lap, as did Shuichi as well. The boy was curled up into a ball, shaking in fear.

"Mr. Sakuma!" The many cries of the teenagers at the café they were right next to screamed out. Tatsuha had looked at the group of four girls and put his hand on the car door. "Oh my god, is that Ryuichi Sakuma!"

"Yeah!" another girl screamed. "I can't believe it! But why did the car crash?"

"Who cares!" someone else yelled. "Let's just get his autograph and maybe one of those necklaces!"

"I WANT HIS HEADBAND!"

_You have got to be kidding me,_ Tatsuha thought silently. _Is this what Eiri and Shuichi put up with on a constant basis? Fight off rampant fangirls who want to tear them apart for the clothing they wear?_ Forgetting about Shuichi in the car, Tatsuha had opened the car door, hurrying to get out of it.

Shuichi had pushed him out the door and was trying to advance out of the car as well. Luckily, Tatsuha was able to steady himself and block the boy from getting out of the car, shutting it on his knee. He heard a yelp from behind him, but had made his way back into the car and to stop his yelping, had kissed Shuichi hard.

…of course, he forgot that all the windows were broken, and shrieks emitted from all directions.

Tatsuha cursed. He wanted his moment with Shuichi to be special, not so everyone could see him! Even worse, his father would see the news published in the papers and have another heart attack.

He never saw Ryuichi turn around and pull him off Shuichi, nor did he think that Ryuichi would look so coldly at him. He saw betrayal in the singer's eyes and hugged Kumagoro tightly. Having his head down so that Tatsuha could not see the tears, he had hugged the bear tighter and had proceeded to move through the crowd, pushing people aside so that he could get through.

"Ryuichi!" Tatsuha screamed, now angry at himself for making the brown haired man so upset. Just the way he looked seemed to make the older man want to cry himself. "Wait, man, I didn't mean that! I was just---get back here!"

Ryuichi stopped and smiled again, giving a peace sign as he turned around to Tatsuha. He cocked his head to the place that he was running to, which was a candy store and laughed. "I will, Tatsu! We're just getting cotton candy and some pocky! I'll bring some for you and Shu too!"

"Fine fine, but hurry about it before the press gets here. The last thing I need to be seen on television!" Tatsuha cursed as he saw the crowd of fangirls running toward Tatsuha and Shuichi's location. Half of them turned to follow Ryuichi and the man sighed.

_I'm glad I didn't hurt him, but. . . I finally kissed Shuichi. Yet . . . it felt wrong, somehow._ He could not ponder this thought as he saw the pink haired boy staring at him, tears in his eyes. "Hey, sorry, Shui—"

The boy trembled as he put his hands in fists. "I really hope you enjoyed that, because that's the last kiss you'll ever make on me, Tatsuha. I don't like you that way." He hid his face in his hands, hiding the tears that kept coming out of them. "Damn it, now Yuki'll see me on T.V. and think **_I'm cheating on him_**, and it'll be all your fault, Tatsuha."

Tatsuha had sighed as he saw Shuichi pulling out his cell phone. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm calling Yuki," Shuichi said softly. "I don't like this and I want---"

_I can't let it happen this way! Even if Eiri sees, Shuichi won't be hurt by him anymore. He shouldn't be wrapped so tightly around my brother!_ He thought this as he pinned Shuichi's wrists to the seat and had held them tightly. Shuichi yelped and tried to kick Tatsuha, but he had let go of the phone, which was his objective in the first place. When Shuichi dropped it on the seat, Tatsuha had grabbed it and yelled out the window.

"Hey, anyone want a cell phone? It has the numbers of Ryuichi Sakuma, Shuichi Shindo and Eiri Yuki!"

Many of the girls who were flipping out about Ryuichi had stopped, hearing the names of people the cell phone had numbers for. It was an all out war as Tatsuha threw Shuichi's cell phone out into the crowd. Many were fighting each other to just grab the phone and keep it. He felt Shuichi pull at his shirt, but he threw it before Shuichi had stopped him.

"And how, we can have you all to ourselves, Shu. You have to get over my brother. It's not healthy for you," he smiled.

-----

"Damn it, Tatsuha!" Shuichi had yelled. "You realize that there is at least one reporter in that crowd, right? They took pictures! PICTURES!" _Pictures of something that I feel ashamed for! I only love Yuki, not him…now people will really think I'm gay. I didn't used to swing that way, but now what will happen and how will Yuki take it?_

_Is he even alright?_

Shuichi was hysterical as he grabbed Tatsuha and had proceeded to beat on his chest, his fists clenched. "Why are you so intent on having me for your own? Why do you think that you could love me better, or Ryuichi! Can't you see that what you want is right in front of you, you stupid ass!"

_If he's intent on love, he should realize that Ryuichi likes him. He may like me, but he wouldn't think of this plan on his own. Hell, I wouldn't have either, but…_

_Ryuichi loves him. Why else would he take Tatsuha's constant bitching about wanting to see him?_

He saw the look of shock on Tatsuha's face and had turned visibly pale. Shuichi had stopped hitting him and had started wiping the tears away from his eyes again. "What do you mean?" He heard Tatsuha ask, confused.

"I mean that maybe . . . why don't you---"

-----

"SHUICHI!"

The two stopped talking as Ryuichi had managed to run back to the car and had waved with a bag in his one hand. They could see that he had a lot of candy on him. "Stop crying, Shuichi! Kumagoro and I wanted to cheer you up, so we got you some candy and stuff, okay?" he told him as he got back in the driver's seat.

_Even after all this, Ryuichi just wanted to stop the boy from crying. I wish someone could comfort me when I was upset. Hold me as I cried. Just where can I find someone who accepts me too?_

"Get out," Tatsuha muttered. "You're not allowed to drive anymore, Ryuichi. I don't even know if the car is workable now."

Ryuichi beamed. "Sure it is. Here, take the candy."

_He doesn't get mad at me at bossing him around._ Stunned, Tatsuha had grabbed the bag that was thrown into his arms. He glanced at it and had realized that he had bought drinks, strawberry pocky and other various forms of chocolate. Stopping himself, Tatsuha had picked up a candy bar and had started eating it. He saw Shuichi grabbing the pocky and open it, munching on it happily, despite his predicament.

_But . . . if Shuichi isn't the one who will love me, then who is it? Could he be right . . . that it was in front of me all along?_

Taking another bite out of the candy bar, he heard Ryuichi putting Kumagoro back into the seat, buckling him up. The girls outside screamed as they were trying to take off on them. He then heard him turn the key and to his amazement, it started. The man groaned.

Shuichi huddled back up in a corner as he shivered.

_But I still want Shuichi…I'm so confused. I don't understand!_

Another bite into the candy bar. Ryuichi had attempted to pull out of the crowd. Many had moved out of the way as they realized they were leaving.

_Was it Ryuichi I wanted all along and not Shuichi!_

He stopped eating the candy bar, not liking the taste of it in his mouth all of a sudden. He had thrown it out the now broken window and had looked at the scenery as Ryuichi had drove. His eyes noticed that Ryuichi was driving off the road and into an area that was hazardous. "RYUICHI!"

The other stopped the car, slamming what was left of the brakes. The car squealed but the car did not stop. It was this that made Ryuichi get worried. "Tatsuha….the car's still going."

"I know, idiot!"

"Pull into the ditch there!" he heard Shuichi bellow at him, pointing toward a clearing at the side of the road.

"What ditch?" Ryuichi now panicked.

Shuichi screamed.

Tatsuha had taken off his seat belt and reached for the driver's wheel, steering it to a hard left. They were taken off the road a bit, but as he steered it, the car was not turning as it should have turned. The alignment was off because of how many times Ryuichi had wrecked the car and Tatsuha growled. "Try pressing the brake, Ryuichi!"

He felt the car moving forward instead.

"THE SMALL BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM, NOT THE HUGE ONE!"

Ryuichi had cringed back in the seat as he let his feet off both the pedals and Tatsuha turned the car to the left again. Being shaken up as he was about the whole incident, he did not think of looking to the left before turning there once again.

"TATSUHA! STOP THE CAR!"

He heard Shuichi's scream a mere second too late as the left side collided with a guard-rail. Shuichi had tried to unbuckle his seat belt to move out of the way, but the door dented. The force of it moved Shuichi into Tatsuha, and it knocked him out of the range of the steering wheel.

The man grabbed Shuichi and had held him to try to get him not to go back on the side the door was now smashed into. Ryuichi was crying in the front seat and was sniffling, screaming at various occasions.

_It was right in front of me all along! _Tatsuha thought. _Ryuichi! It's as clear as—_

The man's thought was cut off as he felt the car nearly go over the guard-rail, only to have it tip the car over the other way instead. He did not realize that the car was going at a good 95 miles per hour and the force of how they crashed had jolted the car in a hard direction.

As it slammed on the ground, he smelled something a lot like gas from the air around him. Ryuichi still sniffled. Shuichi was shaking. He had to act fast.

"GET OUT OF THE CAR!" Tatsuha screamed.

Ryuichi had managed to unbuckle his seat belt and slipped Kumagoro out of it. He forgot all about the packages he bought as he opened his car door and hauled out of it. "Tatsuha, hurry! I think the car is going to blow! Get Shuichi and get him---"

"The door's stuck!" Tatsuha began panicking. He saw his life flash before his eyes. He shook. He trembled. He saw Ryuichi pull the door open and had pulled him out, not realizing that Shuichi had fallen on the seat, now unconscious from another shock.

Tatsuha saw Ryuichi crying and running off in the distance, reaching for his phone to call for help. He ran after him, and they made it away from the car. His heart tore as he saw Ryuichi crying again and sniffling. Tatsuha saw him talking, but not exactly hearing the words that were coming from his mouth.

He was so focused on Ryuichi's sudden sadness that he never realized that the car would explode in a matter of seconds.

Only when it exploded did he realize that Shuichi was still in the car.


	7. Lover's Fall and Ice's Walls Shatter

Ok, so here are the responses to the reviewers, since so many of you want to know if Shuichi is alright…

**Dejichan4444:** I'm glad you like my story. Thank you for your compliments. Your story, Returning Relations, is really good as well. I just read your chapter and I think it was cute how Shuichi was bouncy:p Don't worry, Ryuichi and Tatsuha will find out eventually… You also got a PM I believe.

**Shu-chan77901** and **AngelofLight:** It was supposed to STAY funny…but my writing wasn't really staying in the same place my brain was. This happened in on other part as well which was Chapter 3 where Yuki was supposed to be interviewed along with Shuichi, but you can see where that ended up.

**So to answer the question**: _Shuichi is not dead_. Unfortunately for me, my mother is like the number one Shuichi fan in the whole area I live in. She was rather upset when she glanced at my word document and saw the end to the chapter. Mom just cut her hair like he did. But I happen to like Shuichi too. Even if Eiri comes in the number one spot before him. :p

So now, we will end the evil cliffhanger, but not before going back to the rest of the gang. This is an emotional chapter, so be warned.

-------------

Hiro and Fujisaki were almost at N-G Productions when Hiro suddenly got a bad feeling. He could not shake what it was, but he always had that sixth sense for Shuichi being in trouble. He already knew that the vocalist was kidnapped, but he knew there was **_something else_**.

He wished that feeling would go away. Hiro really wished that feeling would go away. But it would not. It worked its way into his head and eventually he took a breath, frustrated.

"Mr. Nakano, is something wrong?" Fujisaki asked as he watched Hiro drive. "You look distressed. Other then the fact that Mr. Shindo was kidnapped, I mean."

"It's nothing, Fujisaki. I guess my nerves are just stressed more then usual." Hiro had turned on the blinker to signal that he was turning right, to go back into the parking lot. Waiting for the car in front of him to go forward, he then turned and found a parking spot to park the van. They saw Mr. Sakano waiting for them as they parked the car.

"Mr. Sakano!" Fujisaki said as he opened the door to the van. "Has there been any word on Mr. Shindo?"

Hiro saw him shake his head and had proceeded to get out of the car himself. The long haired man sighed as he slammed the car door, holding the keys tightly in his hand. "Dammit! Even Mr. Yuki couldn't stop them from taking Shuichi!"

"Mr. Yuki was here?"

It was then that Hiro had the bad feeling return to him. He winced, glancing at the sky. It was already seven thirty in the evening and there still was no sign of Shuichi. So he decided to talk about something else. "How is he, speaking of Mr. Yuki?"

Mr. Sakano took off his glasses and began to clean them. "Mr. Seguchi has not yet called to say how he is. But then again, I am starting to worry about the President." He had turned around and headed back inside, loosening his tie. "You two can either go on home or look for him. There is not much use hanging around here when you both are clearly worried."

"What about the album?" Fujisaki asked, starting to pull at his hair. "I mean, we can't postpone it!"

Hiro glared at Fujisaki and made a 'huff'. "Is that all you care about, Fujisaki? You and your image? You have to be better then Tohma Seguchi all the time, don't you?" His voice turned cold as he brushed past him. Not bothering to look back, he said, "Find another guitarist, then. I'm going to look for Shuichi. And if I don't find him, you'll form Bad Luck on your own."

"Mr. Nakano!" Fujisaki yelled, reaching his hand out to stop him. But Hiro had already went by him and turned around.

"Unlike you, Fujisaki, Shuichi and I created Bad Luck together. Without each other, Bad Luck wouldn't exist at all. What exactly is this band to you? Is it just another job, or does it have meaning when the three of us play together? Do you have to prove something every time you're with us, or do you just always seem like such an ass when things don't go your way?"

Fujisaki looked angry. Even Mr. Sakano was beginning to panic as he took deep breaths. But Hiro continued, not really caring what either one of them thought.

"Shuichi and I play for fun. Even if we lose, we don't let it become our lives like you do. You can shove the deal up your ass, along with that attitude of yours. I won't play again until Shuichi is found." Turning around, Hiro headed to his motorcycle that was parked a few parking spaces down from the van they had just gotten out of. He had put his helmet on since he left it in a compartment that he carried, and had started getting the keys to rev up the vehicle.

"Mr. Shindo is a friend," Fujisaki muttered. "He just can be irritating."

"As can you," Hiro replied, smirking. "Want to look for him, or record the song? I won't hold it against you either way. We're two different people and I understand that."

"I'll stay here, Mr. Nakano. Someone needs to hold the place together while Mr. Seguchi is away. Besides, we have to explain why we are postponing the album release."

Hiro turned on the motorcycle. "Good man. At least your heart's in the right place. I'll call you when I know about Shuichi."

"Hiroshi." Fujisaki grabbed a pen from his pocket and began to write on a sheet of paper coming from the same place. He scribbled something and thrust it in Hiro's hand. "Call that number. It's my mobile. I might have to travel to a few different places, alright?"

Hiro nodded, shoving it in his pocket. "Sure, Suguru. See ya." He revved up the motorcycle and, having no one else in front of his space, drove off into the street, his long hair blowing behind him.

_I really have a bad feeling about this._

--------

Eiri Yuki awoke to find out a few surprises.

The first was that he was in a hospital bed. This irritated him because he knew that when he was knocked out, he had hit pavement and that something had hit him hard. His head still smarted from that hit and he could feel it throbbing.

The second was that he heard something beeping and realized he was hooked up to machinery. He felt an IV in his arm and had tried to rip it out. He did not need to be in the hospital. He felt better, he told himself.

The novelist had someone put his hand on his arm and had growled at them. "Get off me, you damn brat!" he yelled, thinking that it was Shuichi. "I'm fine, I'm fine!"

When he opened his eyes, however, he found Tohma holding his arm, and not Shuichi. It was then that he had realized that Shuichi was still missing. He had let up on his yelling and looked at Tohma. "Anything on that brat yet?" he asked.

Tohma shook his head as someone else stepped into the room. Eiri recognized it as Shuichi's manager, K and Marian. He sighed. Eiri did not really want all these people crowding his room. But he wanted to talk to K alone, if to just get the girl out of this entire mess. "Well, can you do me a favor, then, brother?"

Tohma smiled. "Of course, Eiri-san. Do you need me to look for Shindo for you?"

"No. I'm going to look for him on my own. As soon as I can get released from the hospital. But I need you and Mika to hold off the press from storming the room, or asking about Shuichi."

Tohma nodded, taking off his hat again. "Of course, Eiri. Are you going to be alright?"

"My brother is fine," Mika told him. "Eiri, what happened, do you know? I know that all of us are worried about Shuichi, even if Tohma is jealous of him."

"Mika, you're jumping to conclusions," Tohma warned. "I just don't want Eiri hurt."

"Tatsuha," Eiri murmured, the whole incident starting to come back to place. He had remembered Shuichi falling, the words that he yelled at Tatsuha. How Tatsuha held him so lovingly. It made Eiri sick inside. That was his brat that he had touched, and held, and took off with.

Eiri's eyes were cold again as he glanced at both Mika and Tohma. "Tatsuha took him, if I assume correctly. I think he had someone else with him."

"What happened to Shuichi?" K cut in, stepping up near Tohma and Eiri. "All we heard from the studio was him screaming. We didn't get to him in time. Was he alright?"

The novelist nodded. "Ryuichi had something to do with it though. I heard him screaming his name as well." He glanced at the lone woman at the door and shook his head. He was trying to think, but he kept having a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. "Tohma, I need to get out of here and be able to have a cigarette. And I need to look for Shuichi."

"Tatsuha wouldn't do this, Eiri," Mika interjected. "He was in Kyoto—"

"Then crashed at my place for three days," Eiri informed her, glaring at his sister. He clutched the blankets. "He threatened to go after Shuichi. He **_wanted_** him. He was creeping around the house, drinking my beer and watching that idiot's concert videos. It was disturbing."

"Then why would Ryuichi have a part in this, Eiri?" Tohma asked, concerned at the fact that Ryuichi would be with Tatsuha. "The fact that he was even there---"

The cellphone rang in Tohma's pocket. The President had checked it, pulling it out of his pocket and saw that it was a number he did not recognize. He had glanced over to Eiri, who nodded at him to pick up the phone. By the time he had answered it, the ringing stopped. "Odd. Usually telemarketers are persistent."

"You ever notice that they call even when a world crisis happens?" K asked Tohma. "They're all roaches that need to be shot."

The phone rang again though, and Tohma glanced at the number. "Ryuichi."

"Get the phone," Eiri commanded. "I want to know where they are and **_where my brat is_**."

Mika, K and Marian stared at him in shock, along with Tohma. Tohma did not show it as much, though as he picked up the phone. "Seguchi here."

"Tohma!"

Tohma had to pull the phone away from his ear. Even Marian could hear from where she was at the door. "Get her out of here," Tohma ordered. "This doesn't concern her."

"You brought her into this with your little deal, Mr. Seguchi," K reminded him. "Does this mean you'll put the record deal on hold?"

Tohma glared at K. "I'll have to, as Ryuichi and Eiri's idiot brother did something with Shindo-san. Now get her out of here." He then went back to his phone conversation. "Where is Shindo, Ryuichi?"

Eiri groaned as he began coughing softly, feeling tears coming to his eyes. He held them back as he coughed, Mika yelling in alarm. His hand pushing her away told her he was alright.

That was not the case for long as Tohma put the phone on speakerphone so everyone could stop asking him what Ryuichi was saying.

"Ryuichi!" Eiri yelled after he saw that K had gotten the woman out of the room and shut the door.

There was still no response.

"Ryuichi, tell us what happened," Tohma said. "We all would like to know what happened to Shindo. And to Eiri's car. It seems that it was stolen."

Mika rose and had put her hand on Eiri's shoulder. "I will wait outside while you talk to Ryuichi…and try not to be too upset. I know Shuichi will be alright. He's an idiot." She gave a small smile. "Aren't they always supposed to be alright?"

Eiri nodded, feeling less then cheery. "My goddamn car was stolen?"

"Tatsuha said that we were playing a game with Shu-chan, Tohma!" Ryuichi cried into the phone. They could hear him sniffling as he talked, and then him blowing his nose.

_Goddamn it,_ Eiri thought. _Just tell me if the brat's alright or not! I'll forget the joyriding as long as I know Shuichi's--  
_

"It's not my fault that I kind of blew his car up! Tatsuha let me drive! But we didn't know---didn't think---Shu---"His voice trailed off as they heard sirens in the background. "Tohma, I have—"

"What happened to Shuichi! Before you hang up that phone, you stupid idiot, **_tell me what the hell happened to him_**!" Eiri had ripped the IV out of his arm and had jumped out of the bed, grabbing Tohma's phone by surprise and rasping angrily into it. His breath was shaky and his eyes were watery. "Tell me—"

"Shuichi was in the car! I didn't know! I was trying to dial in the phone when the car exploded!"

_The car exploded with Shuichi inside...I can't imagine anymore. I can't begin to imagine living in that house…alone. Without that damn brat to scream "I'm home!" and to tell me about his problems. I was actually getting a kick out of him hopping home, disguised as a battery. I was happy that there was someone WAITING for me. _

_FOR ME. I want that back!_

Eiri's head was running a mile a second as he heard Ryuichi on the phone again. "Tatsuha said that the paramedics are trying to see if Shuichi is alive. I hope he is. I never meant for him to get hurt, Tohma."

"This isn't Tohma, you dumbass," he growled again. "Where is Tatsuha?" He threw his brother's name out like bile that had been lingering in his mouth. "I want to talk to my brother."

"…Eiri?"

"Give me my brother, or tell me if Shuichi is alive, you stupid fuck." Eiri did not care right now who heard him, or what was going on around him. He saw Tohma gasp at the use of his language, but was not inclined to stop anytime soon. "You both got him in that mess. And what the fuck did you think you were doing, throwing him out the window!"

"Tatsuha said it'd be fun. He said he'd catch him!" Ryuichi sniffled "Besides, he said that he didn't want you with Shuichi! And that we could—"

"_Tell me if Shuichi is alright, Ryuichi Sakuma," _Eiri Yuki hissed.

There was a pause at the end of the phone line. Then he heard another voice. "Yo, Eiri…I didn't mean to take things this far…"

_I'm really going to kill that idiot brother of mine. I just…_ But Eiri could not think as Tohma turned on the televison. "Just tell me if he's alright or not."

"Why do you care? You don't love him anyway."

_Do I love him?_ Eiri still asked himself that as Tatsuha's cold words cut through his thoughts. _I still compared him . . . but . . . he was there for me when I needed him. And I couldn't even protect him. I couldn't even stop my own brother from taking Shuichi. _

_I . . . I don't deserve Shuichi._

_And yet, I bet he'd think nothing about Tatsuha or Ryuichi having a fault in this._

_He'd wake up and just scream "Yuki!" and hug me, asking how I'm doing. Just like any normal day._

That broke his heart even more. He wanted that idiot to scream his name and hug him for ten minutes, whining that he had a deadline to do and to spend time with him. Eiri wanted to hear his voice right now. He wanted to just see his pink haired brat. It would quell the voices that were running in his head. "Tatsuha. This is your fault, you know."

"I don't need to be reminded. The little brat told me as well."

"Don't call him that," Eiri warned. "It's—"

"Shuichi's been rushed to the hospital. They say he'll make it, but that he's in a lot of pain right now. Apparently he broke a couple of ribs, has a broken arm and he's suffering a lot of emotional trauma."

"You asshole!" Eiri screamed. "**_I told you to leave Shuichi alone, didn't I_**?"

The line was silent as Eiri went on, coughing for a moment.

"I told you that if you ever harmed Shuichi, I was going to kick your ass. I told you that, Tatsuha. I may be cold-hearted, but I don't like when shit happens to my pink haired, obnoxious, indecent tart. He may be cold and indecent at time, but I still would rather have him in my house then know he's dead because of your jealousy."

The phone line was dead a minute later as a nurse came into the room and was startled by what was on the television. "Isn't that—"

Eiri and Tohma turned to the television and saw that they were showing footage of the incident that they were speaking of. Except they saw that Eiri's car was ran into a fire hydrant and that the windows were broken. But that was not what made Eiri want to cry.

The fact that there was footage of Tatsuha trying to take advantage of his Shuichi, on national television, was too much to bear. He knew that Shuichi did not want to be in that car or with them at the time. It made Eiri wonder just how much they put Shuichi though, within the six to seven hours he was gone.

_Shuichi . . . I'm sorry, Shuichi . . ._

He never realized that the nurse had ushered Tohma outside the hospital room as Eiri began to cry. The novelist did not even bother to hide it, since he became aware that he was alone. He went back to the bed and buried his head in a pillow, allowing to become wet with tears of rage.

_Tatsuha will pay for this…I can't let me world become black again. I don't want the color to go away. I don't want those damn voices to come back again, eating away at me, making me remember the times I don't want to remember!_ "I don't want to remember that time…" Eiri whispered softly, recalling when Shuichi had comforted him at their old apartment. _I can't go back to how it was._

_What would have it been like if you had never came? I don't want to think about that. I just want you here, right now…in my bed. I just want to cradle you close, tell you things that I would never say . . . if that would make everything better, would it heal you?_

_Would make the pain go away?_

He sniffled, wiping the tears away from his eyes. His head was starting to hurt because he was emotionally distraught. He hated being like this. He was not going to hurt himself, or fall into a depression because Shuichi was hurt. Shuichi was alive.

_Shuichi **is alive, **_he reminded himself. _You can't do anything right now. The paramedics are bringing him here. Just try to hold yourself together, Eiri. That's what you can do for Shuichi. Shuichi will want you to try to hold him together._

_But . . . who's going to hold me together?_

It was then he realized why he wanted Shuichi right now.

The novelist would fall apart if Shuichi had died, or left him.

He had wormed his way into cold hearted Eiri Yuki, and instead of fearing it, Eiri took comfort in it.

But he feared his comfort would be short-lived.


	8. Waiting For A Sign

Chapter Eight

Wow, we're already at page 50 of this adventure of Gravitation! I'm rather impressed with myself, considering I started this story last Sunday!

The last chapter made me cry, because it was about my Eiri…poor him. I hate when he's sad. But let's face it, he makes Shuichi stay sane, even if he's borderline psychotic at times.

If this chapter stinks, I'm deeply sorry ahead of time. I'm running on two hours of sleep, but I was trying to finish this update because it was stuck in my head. Tatsuha wouldn't shut up, damn him. ;p

**_Notice:_I will not be updating this story for a few days, simply because I need to finish my term papers. While I do love writing the Gravitation cast, I work six days this week and have two more papers left to do. So if you don't see an update till Thursday/Friday, that's why.**

**_Summary so far:_** Tatsuha and Ryuichi had kidnapped Shuichi Shindo and had wrecked Eiri's Mercedes. While it wrecked, the car exploded, with the rock star inside. The others have just received a phone call from Ryuichi, explaining that Shuichi was being rushed to the hospital, but would not give a clear definition of what happened to him.

Our novelist, Eiri Yuki, has taken a blow from this incident, and, like the others, is hanging onto some sign of hope that Shuichi will make it through this. When Tatsuha and Ryuichi come to the waiting room, they find out that no one knows how Shuichi is and have to wait with them. Will Ryuichi be able to keep himself occupied, and will Eiri come out to hunt Tatsuha down?

Special props go again to **Luciver** for adding onto the crazy plot for the hospital adventure, which starts in Chapter 9.

_**Replies to reviews:**_

**Mustang123**: Have you read book 11 of Gravitation? Tatsuha is one of my favorites, but he did a rather devious thing and it involved Eiri's car as well. He just doesn't seem to have luck with that car. As for being a jerk, I don't think Tatsuha meant to be, but it just happened that way.

**lady laurannia: **The last chapter made me cry as well, when I was writing about Eiri. I don't know if that's because it was almost 1 am or the fact that he wouldn't shut up in my head. Either way, it resulted in a good chapter for me. I don't like the fanfictions that made him cry every time something happens to Shuichi, but I just tried to keep him in character.

**liz poling**: I'm glad you enjoy it so much. But you'll have to read to find out if Shuichi will survive. That would give it away. :p Eiri and Shuichi are my favorite pairing from the series, so I couldn't make them paired with other people. shudders at some of the combinations she's seen

**_hokage:_** I wouldn't damage Shuichi's face :p It's so pretty! But he will have some damage since after all, the car did explode on him. But he's alright right now, I think.

**Luciver**: I would be like a fangirl too, but you know, I wanted to reach out and hug Eiri when he started crying. I did in the anime too. I like, hugged the television and my parents were like "What are you doing?" But it's okay because Shuichi is alive!

**AngelofLight**: In response to your PM, it will be total chaos:p I plan on more fun to happen in this chapter. Let's face it, who can be depressed when Ryuichi Sakuma runs the show…_alone?_

**Shu-chan77901**: I can't stand when they're sad either. They're like so cute together :p And don't worry, I'm sure Eiri'll be happy again soon. I want that to happen as well.

**DemonicDragon666, Amethyst00, and Kittyluvpocky**: And here is the next update for you! I'm glad you like it.

---------

Hiro had pulled into the driveway of his small apartment complex when he heard his cellphone going off. He had stopped the motorcycle and had taken the keys out of the ignition when he heard it ringing again. "Alright, I'm coming," he muttered, putting his hand in his jacket pocket to get the phone. On the fourth ring, he clicked the talk button. "Give me a minute, I still got my helmet on." Hiro did not bother to even wait for a response (nor could he hear one with the helmet on his head) as he took it off and sat it on the seat of the motorcycle. "Alright, sorry about that."

"Hiroshi," K's voice came from the phone. "I need you to come to Tokyo Medical Hospital right away."

Hiro sighed. "You just told me to go back to N-G, and then Sakano said to go back home. You're going to burn me out of gas money, K." He patted the helmet as he picked it up and held it underneath his arm. "Did Mr. Yuki tell you anything about Shuichi yet?"

"He didn't have to—Ryuichi called." K had stopped after saying the last two words, as if he could not bear to tell Hiro what had happened. "I just called Mr. Sakano and Fujisaki. They're heading down your place to get you since you have that motorcycle. Besides that, I know you've been driving all day."

Hiro grabbed his house keys and had walked up to his apartment, sliding the key in the lock and opening his door. He had walked in as he threw the helmet on the couch, hoping to at least have a cigarette before he had to go into a hospital. Seeing Eiri Yuki became a pain because he never understood the actions that the novelist did. Nor did he understand why Shuichi wasted his time with him sometimes.

But in that sense, Hiro understood. He had to waste his time pinning over Ayaka as well before she went on a date with him. And their relationship had been steady ever since . . . except when her father would not let her see Hiro. But that was every once in a while, so he dealt with it.

"Then why did you tell me I had to come down to the hospital?" Hiro asked. "Can I call you back, man? There's just something I have to do and I don't feel like putting you on hold. You know how that goes." He headed to the bathroom and was ready to shut off the phone when K screamed into it.

"Hiroshi, it's about Shuichi! He's being admitted into Toyko Medical Hospital!"

Hiro had stopped. He just could not seem to think of anything else to do at that particular moment as he put the phone back in his ear. "Shuichi?"

"Yes. It's all over the television, so you might want to turn it on. Fujisaki said they should be there in a few minutes. You might want to grab some stuff, since we don't know how Shuichi is at the moment."

Hiro nodded as he sat the phone on the table in his bedroom. "K, hold on, man. If I'm coming to the hospital that's a half hour away, I'm using the bathroom."

He heard K gag on the phone as he walked over and closed his bathroom door, glancing at himself in the mirror.

-----

It was after he used the bathroom that he even thought about turning on the television. And when he did, he realized why K would not know anything about Shuichi's condition as he held the phone to his ear.

"Just now, paramedics arrived at the scene of this vehicle accident. From what we could see, the vocalist of Bad Luck, Shuichi Shindo, was carried off and looked to be in bad condition. No one knows the extent of the damage, but the other two in the car with him walked away from the scene, unharmed."

_Shuichi was hurt . . . oh man. What's Mr. Yuki going to do?_ He wondered for a moment why he even thought Mr. Yuki would care, or at least, show it in the way everyone else would. _Would he cry? Would he get angry, like he did at Taki Aizawa? Will he run away, like he did when Shuichi got too close to him?_

"There has been no comment from the other people in the car, but we have footage from a shocking scene before this happened. One person with them was Ryuichi Sakuma, who seemed to had wrecked a car like this prior to this incident by ramming it into a fire hydrant. And rumors are flying that Shindo was cheating on his partner, the novelist Eiri Yuki. Footage here shows that he was kissed by another black haired man, who was seen at N-G Productions by witnesses earlier that day."

_Tatsuha! It makes sense! He was the one that took Shuichi…I remember now. What Shuichi had told me earlier today about something happening between the two of thme. **"I won't say what it was right now, but it had something to do with Yuki and Tatsuha. I have to find out the truth about it."**_

Hiro was transfixed as he saw that it had flashed back to Tatsuha and how he seemed to be kissing Shuichi. He could see the tears forming in Shuichi's eyes as he tried to weakly push him away. Then he saw that something was being thrown out the window and realized that it was Shuichi's cellphone.

No wonder he had been worried on the drive home from N-G.

"You're watching it now, Hiro?"

The voice on the phone brought him away from the television. "Yes." Then, "I honestly wonder how Mr. Yuki is going to take this. I mean, he seems so cold to Shuichi."

"Tohma looked worried as he ran out of Mr. Yuki's room," K told him. "Apparently he got nasty on the phone with Ryuichi. And I'm saying that lightly. You could hear it from in the waiting room."

…_is he serious? He actually showed emotions to someone other then Shuichi? Perhaps he's been rubbing off on him, after all._ "That's intense, man." Hiro flipped off the television as he heard a honk from outside, knowing that was Mr. Sakano and Fujisaki. "Mr. Yuki doesn't—"

"He doesn't cry, either…but Tohma said he had started crying after seeing the footage on the television fifteen minutes ago. That's when the nurse kicked him out of the room. I don't know how he is, because she won't let anyone else go in there." As Hiro grabbed a bag and shoved some clothes in and some money, K said, "I have to get going. I'll see you when you get here." And the phone went dead.

"Shit," Hiro told himself. "If Mr. Yuki's crying, that must mean that something's seriously wrong with Shuichi. But I can't shake the feeling that he'll go out of his mind if Shuichi doesn't survive this. Shu . . ." Hiro said as he ran out of his apartment and locked the door again, "You gotta make it, man. You can't let Eiri Yuki suffer alone. You might just get your "I love you" yet out of that man."

--------------

Ryuichi and Tatsuha had rushed to get to the floor that Shuichi was being transported to. They had gotten a ride in the ambulance, since they were worried about him. But Tatsuha had remembered the venom in Eiri's voice when he was on the phone before. He really did not want to face his brother for this. In fact, he never meant for this to happen.

It just simply did.

But Eiri would not hear it, since after all, he was clobbered in the head by Ryuichi. And they had taken Shuichi without telling anyone. He really wasn't hoping that the kiss would not be shown on television. But knowing his luck, it probably did already. Tatsuha sighed.

He noticed that Ryuichi was pulling on his arm and stopped a moment to gaze at the leader of Nittle Grasper. Or former leader. He was supposed to be in Japan, filming for a movie in America. He saw sadness in Ryuichi's eyes and damned himself for it. He loved Ryuichi's singing.

_Wait . . . back up._ It was all he had time to think before Ryuichi put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tatsu, you going to be alright? You look kind of pale." Ryuichi's eyes looked at his and Tatsuha closed his own, thinking of Eiri and his fury in the rooms to come. "I know we were supposed to steal Eiri from Shuichi . . . but . . ."

Tatsuha had started walking again, seeing that there was an elevator nearby. If Shuichi was going to be admitted to the fifth floor, then he would have to get an elevator. They were only on the third floor and the steps were killing him. He hated elevators, but there was no choice.

As he went to press the button to get the elevator to their floor, Ryuichi had grabbed his hand, holding it softly. Tatsuha inwardly gasped. His heart started to pound. This was not how it was supposed to go. He wanted Shuichi . . .

. . . didn't he?

"Ryuichi . . ." Tatsuha said, turning around to face him. "It's alright, man. We can still do it, if you want. I know you like Shuichi too. Who doesn't? He may be—"

"Tatsuha." Ryuichi said it softly as the elevator went ding and opened up the doors. Luckily, it was empty and they headed into it. Tatsuha looked annoyed at the elevator as he pressed the 5th floor and waited for the elevator doors to start closing.

"Ryuichi, what is it, man?" Tatsuha became worried as Ryuichi just kept looking at him. He saw that Ryuichi was yawning and had rubbed one of his eyes. "Besides the fact that you're tired." He was surprised to see the elevator door close and Ryuichi had put his head on his shoulder, if just for a moment. His eyes closed.

Tatsuha lifted an eyebrow and was trying not to flip out.

_Wait a minute! Hold on! Ryuichi! I thought I wanted **Shuichi!** I thought I WASN'T GAY! I just----damn it, shut up, you stupid thoughts!_

_But . . . what if Shu was right? What if I do love Ryuichi?_

_Didn't you just realize that in the car? Why are you having second thoughts now? Get over yourself, Tatsuha. _

The younger man had patted Ryuichi's back as he heard soft snores coming from the older one. Apparently he had fallen asleep standing up and was trying to take a thirty second powernap. Tatsuha smirked as the elevator doors went ding again and opened up.

Ryuichi was still asleep, his head on his shoulder.

Tatsuha glanced around to make sure no one was looking before moving slowly and balancing Ryuichi's sleeping form. He then put an arm underneath Ryuichi's knees and one behind his back to carry the man, holding him in his arms as he walked. He had to admit, this felt a lot different then when he carried Shuichi.

It did not feel wrong, or that he was stealing him away from somebody. He could look at the man sleeping peacefully with his bear around his arm, and he had conflicting feelings as he did. But he managed to get someone to open the door for him and he sighed softly.

_Shuichi'll be alright, I'm sure. But how . . . how does that brat know things that are oblivious to me? Is he even right? Is this what's supposed to happen?_

_------_

Tatsuha walked into the waiting room and had stopped dead. He almost dropped Ryuichi as he saw a figure walking out of the hallway and into the waiting room. He saw that Tohma and his sister were sitting on one side, talking. He also saw a reporter with wavy brown hair talking to a blonde haired American, who he assumed was the crazy manager that Eiri bitched about one day. He also saw that they were rather concerned and seemed nervous.

Ryuichi had started to stir and Tatsuha freaked out once again, but this time in front of everyone that was watching.

"Come on, make up your mind! Do you have like an autotimer on how long you powernap or something?"

Ryuichi had smiled. "Awww, you carried me here? That's sweet, Tatsu. But I'm awake now so you can put me down."

"How can you fall asleep like that!" Tatsuha cried.

"Mr. Uesugi," he heard someone behind him say. "If you would please leave that for after we know about Mr. Shindo. You have some explaining to do. But we will leave it at when Shindo's condition has been discovered."

_God dammit, I really hate Tohma on days where he's premenstrual, or hasn't gotten it up the ass,_ Tatsuha thought as he put Ryuichi down. Ryuichi, who seemed oblivious to the fact that Tohma was mad, ran up to him and hugged his friend.

"Tohma, are you alright? How is Yuki-san?" Ryuichi asked. "I really didn't mean to hit him so hard, but I thought he was going to attack Tatsu. So I thought that maybe I could redirect his attention. I didn't think I'd knock him out."

Tohma smiled softly. "It's alright, Ryuichi. Eiri is fine for now, I think."

"Well when we know how Shuichi is, can you tell me? I want to see him when he can let people in his room. And Kumagoro wants to see him too! And Tatsuha!"

_Wait, I never---Ryuichi? I don't know if you understood why Eiri was going to do what he was doing, but you just want to make sure Shuichi's alright . . . why can't you stop and look at the whole picture?_

…_now I know why I wanted Shuichi. He reminded me of Ryuichi._

_How could I be so blind? I did the same thing Eiri did with Yuki. He saw Shuichi as Yuki and looked right past him._

_Damn, I'm a fool._

"Well, of course I want to see if Shuichi is alright," Tatsuha replied. "But I don't think it'd be such a good idea right now." Then a thought came to his head. "Did anyone call Shuichi's parents? I don't think—"

"That's just it, Tatsuha," Tohma said softly. "You didn't think and now Eiri is hurt." The man rose from his seat, brushing his hair back with a hand. "I wanted to take Shindo-san away from Eiri as well. But gravitation won't allow it with those two, it seems."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ryuichi asked. "This is a huge conversation, Tohma."

"With them, the force of love simply will not be denied," the blonde American said softly. "You notice how every time someone does something stupid, they always come back together?"

"It sickens me," Tohma hissed, before putting on his cheery face again. "Well, of course we do, Mr. K."

"Tatsuha, what were you thinking?" Mika asked, finally taking a part in the conversation. "Do you realize that if we couldn't do it, that you couldn't? What makes you think that you could!"

Tatsuha glared at his sister. "You had a part in it?"

"Until Eiri came back to Japan _because the kid went after him_. Tohma knew too. So we stopped. But what made you think that you had a right to try after we said to leave him alone, Tatsuha?" Mika growled out slowly. "Because of you, that boy might very well die. And as for your question, his parents are not available. His sister said they were on vacation but to tell Eiri to take care of Shuichi." She had walked over to Tatsuha and looked at his face. She did this for a moment before slapping him hard against the face.

Tatsuha just stared in shock.

"You made Eiri cry."

Those four words rang inside his head.

"Eiri bawled because of the stuff he saw you doing to Shuichi on television. He wants to kill you. I don't think you should even be here right now, Tatsuha."

Ryuichi had pushed Mika aside and back toward Tohma. The woman protested but stopped when her husband caught her. "You alright, Tatsu?"

_Ryuichi . . . is like Shuichi._ Tatsuha nodded. "Yeah. But we need something to do to ease all the tension in this room."

Ryuichi brightened, looking through his pockets. "Well, don't they have board games or something here for kids?"

"I'd hardly classify you as a kid," Tatsuha pointed out. "You are in your mid twenty to thirties…and yet you almost robbed a candy store." When he saw Ryuichi pout, he patted his head. "Almost, I said. But maybe there's something to do."

"Oh, I know!" Ryuichi had laughed as he hugged Kumagoro and looked around at everyone else in the room. There were several spectators who were just giving them weird looks. Ryuichi did not really notice. "I can make a board game!"

"…suddenly I'm scared, Ryu," Tatsuha whispered. "You better not make something perverted like "Spin the Bottle"."

The other had sat at a table that was near them and began rummaging though his pockets again. He had pulled out a board game box and Tatsuha had no idea where the hell it came from. The same looks from the others signaled that they thought the same thing. He did see that the game was called "Risk" and laughed at the irony.

He had a feeling that the waiting room would get interesting very soon.


	9. Risk and Revelations

Well, despite those term papers, my father keeps dropping me off at work an hour early each day. So at 6:45 am, I'm up and writing more stuff. It seems that everyone has thought that I'd fit as Eiri from the series, for some weird reason.

Some of the chapter names have been changed, so look at those. If you haven't figured out what Ice's Walls Shattering is, then you need to really look at Gravitation again, though I think my reviewers will understand rather well.

I want to thank all of you for reviewing. I'm trying to get to the funny parts, but I have to get through Eiri first. It seems his angst won't go out of my head. He's rather upset right now that Shuichi is like this.

**Inspiration for this chapter:** Being outside and trying to get away from the confinement of writers block. You know, this was why I wrote a one shot, but was demanded to do more. After this story though, I think I might go back to original fiction, since I'm trying to be a published author.

**_Summary so far_**: Tatsuha and Ryuichi had kidnapped Shuichi Shindo and had wrecked Eiri's Mercedes. While it wrecked, the car exploded, with the rock star inside. The others have just received a phone call from Ryuichi, explaining that Shuichi was being rushed to the hospital, but would not give a clear definition of what happened to him.

Our novelist, Eiri Yuki, has taken a blow from this incident, and, like the others, is hanging onto some sign of hope that Shuichi will make it through this. When Tatsuha and Ryuichi come to the waiting room, they find out that no one knows how Shuichi is and have to wait with them. When Ryuichi declares he wants to make a board game out of Risk, Tatsuha is dragged down to the gift shop with Ryuichi. Can they find the pieces they so desperately need?

The money thing later in the chapter is equal to 11.80 in American money, BTW.

**_One other thing:_** I wished I owned Gravitation, but I don't. If I did, would you really see this on this site? I just own Marian, and the story idea. Though I know I'd have to fight many of you if I said I took Eiri for my own. Ha!

_**Responses again (the non PM ones I didn't get to yet)**_

**Dejichan4444**: Read and find out what happens. Come on, you really think I'd kill Shuichi? grins

**Mustang123**: Yes, school is a pain in the ass. However, I have seem to be caught up on my papers and I'm going to probably work on them tomorrow instead. Damn Eiri. Damn him and his sexiness for staying in my head. I'm going to school for my BA in law, BTW. You can call him Yuki if you want, but it helps me not totally shatter my image of Yuki Sohma. :P

**Amythest00**: Thanks!

**Liz poling**: I know. Tatsuha feels so bad right now. He'll make up for it later, I'm sure, but has to get reamed by Eiri first. :p So much angst.

------

A half an hour later, the entire group in the waiting room were irritable, annoyed and getting scared of Ryuichi Sakuma. Well, by all, this would mean Tatsuha, Marian and Mika. Tohma and K were used to his incessive demands and whining and had learned to block out the singer about ten minutes after he started talking to Kumagoro, playing as if they were having a conversation.

Tatsuha thought it was cute, really, but when he started laughing, everyone glared at him. He stopped laughing and looked upset instead. And he really was. He never meant for Shuichi to be hurt. He never meant to blow up his brother's car. And he sure did not mean to put the Bad Luck vocalist in the hospital, in critical condition.

The black haired man jammed his hands into his jacket pockets. This was one hell of a day.

"But I'm bored!" Ryuichi whined. "There's nothing to do. And I don't have any game pieces for my game." He was talking to Kumagoro now, hugging him close. "I don't just want to sit here, thinking of how Shuichi is hurt…"

"Then why don't you go get some game pieces for your game, Ryuichi?"

Tatsuha turned around to find the guitarist, keyboardist and Mr. Sanako standing there, panting for breath. Apparently they were worried as well. He did not know which one had spoke, but he was surprised that Ryuichi glanced up from Kumagoro enough to actually pay attention to them. He giggled softly. "I think I will! Come on, Tatsu!" He had bounced up and had grabbed Tatsuha's hand, pulling him backwards as he ran toward the door. "We can go to the gift shop!" He threw the doors open, using Kumagoro as a way to open the door. "Thanks, Kumagoro!"

Tatsuha saw the weird looks of the patients who were waiting for news about their loved ones. He was too busy trying to keep his balance to care about what they said as he yelled, "Ryu! Hold on a minute, man!" He fell on the ground, unable to keep his balance and had banged his head into the sliding door.

He felt someone helping him up and met Ryuichi's eyes again, then glanced away as he put his hands back in his pockets. "Thanks, man. So where's this gift shop that we're supposed to visit?"

The other looked thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged. "I dunno."

Tatsuha rolled his eyes. "Braindead in there?" He chucked. It felt nice to think of something else other then Shuichi. "Alright, come on. They're usually on the first floor anyway."

"So why ask me where it is, Tatsu?"

"…I don't know. But come on."

Ryuichi had seemed to look for something as he took out his wallet and pouted. "My license!" he cried. "It must have gotten lost in the car! But I can't leave home without it, Tatsu…" He bit his lip and pouted.

Tatsuha laughed as he patted the older man's shoulder. "If you promise not to drive with this one, then we can make another one, Ryuichi."

"We can? Yay!" The man smiled again. It really did not take much for him to be happy. He noticed this as the man ran to the elevator and had once again pressed the button to summon the piece of machinery.

_At least he's not pouting anymore,_ Tatsuha thought. _He's cute, but it—_

_Oh never mind. Since you're here, you can enjoy his company, can't you?_

As he fingered in his pocket, he remembered that he never gave Ryuichi back the license, but had figured it was best that he did not know that. After all, he wanted to see him make another one. And perhaps, it would occupy his time while he was here, if he got bored making his own board game.

Tatsuha smiled. He admired Ryuichi's creativity. Even if he was not able to drive, he had to tried to fit in like everyone else at times.

He thought this as he fingered again in his other pocket, remembering about the credit card that he was looking for. He did not know if Ryuichi had any money left after spending a lot of money buying those things at the candy store. Tatsuha sighed.

Ryuichi was going to cost him a lot of money, he thought. But he did not care. If it put the smile back on his face, then it all was worth it, right?

_Yes. Yes. It is._

He had no second thought as he heard the elevator ding and followed Ryuichi into it, trying to think of what he could make from things at a gift shop for the Ryuichi style Risk game.

-----

The whole idea had seemed like a good idea when they had gone down to the shop, but after Ryuichi had spent twenty minutes in there, Tatsuha was regretting going down there. Ryuichi had the worst attention span in the world, and he kept losing track of why he was even there in the first place.

It was driving Tatsuha up the wall.

"Are you almost done?" he asked for the sixth time as he saw Ryuichi looking at the candy again. Apparently there was something going on in his head, because Ryuichi had been glancing back and forth between the Raisinettes, Skittles, and the Tic Tacs. "I don't think you can use candy in a game, Ryuichi."

"I'm trying to think," Ryuichi told him in a serious voice.

_That's a little over your head sometimes, isn't it?_

"I'm trying to think of what would be best. If I use Raisinettes for the pieces, then they all look the same, except for their sizes. The Skittles are different colors, so they might be good for that. But then I'd have to---"

"You're thinking of using them for MOVING PIECES!"

The lady behind the counter glanced at him and Tatsuha sighed. "Sorry."

The lady turned away, muttering something to herself.

"Well, isn't it a good idea?" Ryuichi asked.

"Unless you want your players to EAT the game pieces, no."

Ryuichi pouted, looking like he was about to cry. "But it took a good while to think of that."

Tatsuha patted his head. "Well, alright. I guess if you want to have fun with it, you can get some of each and see how you go with it." He saw that Ryuichi was thinking again and groaned. "I said some of each."

"But there can be only one."

Tatsuha rolled his eyes and sighed. "You're being annoying now."

"Well, let me think, Tatsu, ok?" Ryuichi had turned away, looking once again at the Raisinettes.

"Fine, but we need to get out of here." He grabbed the entire box of Raisinettes and had put them in his hands. "We're sticking with these for the game pieces, since you keep staring at them."

"But---but---you can't tell them apart, Tatsu!" The man had looked ready to cry. "You gotta get other things too!"

"Then pick up the fucking Tic Tacs, you maniac!" Tatsuha screamed for the second time. "And some toothpicks! We can stick them in the middle of the Raisinettes, if you want!"

"You're mean, Tatsuha!" Ryuichi proclaimed. "Kumagoro is upset at you too."

"Yeah, well, I want to get out of here, not watch my maniac—"

_What the hell! No no no! Tatsuha, damnit, you aren't gay!_

"With me," Ryuichi said, finishing for him. "Alright, then I'll get them. I'll hurry up too." As he moved over to get a pack of toothpicks that were near some soft drinks (really, don't ask, I saw this once), he glanced back at Tatsuha. "You just want to play don't you?"

_Not really…that wasn't my intention to rush this….but…._

"Sure, Ryu. I wanted to see your creative genius at work."

Again the smile came back. "YAY! Hear that, Kumagoro! He wanted to watch us make our game!" He ran up to the counter and had placed the things on there.

As Tatsuha came up, he saw that the lady behind it looked at them rather strange. "My friend is a bit spazzy," he explained quietly. "We're trying to stop him from being depressed over his friend in the hospital."

"I…I see," she answered. He knew she was not convinced. "You're going to buy all that, sir?" By all that, she had indicated the twenty packs of Raisinettes, the thirty packs of Wintermint Tick Tacs, and the count of 100 toothpicks in different colors. "Just what do you plan to do for your friend?"

"Make a game, apparently," he told him. "Ryuichi does that sort of thing."

"Ryuichi! As in Ryuichi Sakuma?" she asked. "Oh wow, that explains a lot, sir. He's a genius!" She gazed at him from where he was standing, coming up with something else in his hands. "And…two boxes of strawberry pocky?"

Ryuichi nodded. "For Shuichi."

"The vocalist from Bad Luck Shuichi?" she asked again, starting to sound like a whining fangirl. Tatsuha sighed.

Ryuichi nodded.

"This is too cool. I can die happy now, now that Ryuichi Sakuma has come here!" She began to ring up the purchases. "I really hope that he likes all this."

_So do I,_ Tatsuha thought. _Especially since it's Eiri's credit card. I kind of forgot to put it back after replenishing his beer supply the other day._

When the stuff was in the bag, she said, "Well, I knocked a good deal off of your purchases, so it comes to a total of 1,330 yen, sir."

Tatsuha handed her the credit card as Ryuichi had looked at something that was lying on the counter. It seemed to be a pink notebook and he had grabbed it when she was not looking. Taking a permanent pen out of his pocket, he had scribbled a message on it and placed it back. Tatsuha saw this and had smiled. _Thoughtful as always,_ he thought. _I think he did it because she never asked him._

"Thanks!" Ryuichi said happily, grabbing the bag. "And thank you, Tatsuha. Let's go back upstairs to wait on Shuichi!" Grabbing Kumagoro, he had walked out of the gift shop, pulling Tatsuha along. He barely got the credit card back before they heard her gushing in adoration.

"Thanks a lot, come again, Mr. Sakuma!" Then, "Oh my god, THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"Well, you did one good thing today, Ryuichi," Tatsuha told him.

The other smiled and winked. "Yeah, well, just shows you that being with someone you like can make you happy, right?"

_Oh my god. He said being with someone you like._

_Does that mean me?_

"Yeah, it can. Now hurry back to the elevator before you make me spend anymore money."

"It's Eiri's credit card," Ryuichi said, smirking as he got to yet another elevator and pressed the button. "He'll really blow a fuse if he finds out."

"Well shit...I kind of think Eiri'll understand," he told him. "Look at the horde of strawberry pocky that is left at his house."

Ryuichi laughed. "Yeah, I guess your brother has a heart too. But—" The elevator dinged and he stepped inside. "I don't want Shuichi anymore, Tatsu. I found what I was looking for." He stepped inside and Tatsuha just stared.

He had to be pulled in the elevator before it closed. Tatsuha smiled again.

_That man really is a genius,_ he told himself. _Him and Shuichi both._


	10. Ice's Revelation and Love's Protector

Chapter Ten

I had four paragraphs of that on paper at work before my friend read it and wanted to know why I was writing about gay people, candy, Risk and rock stars. I couldn't explain Gravitation in three minutes or less, but he thought it was really funny. It made me happy.

Then my boss overheard the conversation. Luckily, she's cool but told me not to invite gay people in to actually have a candy fight and to play board games. Twas funny.

Hence it made me do the happy fluff chapter of Ryuichi/Tatsuha.

But now . . . . let's go to other parts of the story.

**_Summary_**: Tatsuha and Ryuichi have decided to cure Ryuichi's boredom by going to the gift shop to try to make their own version of Risk out of Raisinettes, Skittles, toothpicks and Tic Tacs. Meanwhile, everyone else is in the waiting room, and our novelist is suffering over the loss of his love.

Will Eiri Yuki be able to handle this blow, or will it drive him insane?

**_Copyright_**: I do not own Gravitation, otherwise I wouldn't put this fic up here. I wish I did. I own Marian, the background nurse in this chapter and I do not own Shining Collection by Iceman, which snippets are in here. I only own the idea of the story.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Mustang123**: Yeah, Ryuichi is cool when he's childish. I'm currently trying to hunt down a bag with Eiri on it, but…it's not working. I'll have to find patches or something and MAKE MY OWN :p I'm getting the Gravitation bag before I leave on my vacation, though.

**AngelofLight**: Eiri had kind of been hooked up to IVs and was having his emotional breakdown. But I don't think the cops will be involved, unless Tohma gets pissed enough. And Tohma, I think, is rather unstable. I got that vibe early on but he does loosen up, except on Eiri. Which, is just creepy.

**Amythest00 **and** Luciver**: Thanks a lot! We needed comedy, as this is an angst chapter now.

----------------

Chapter Ten

Eiri had finally managed to stop crying a little while later as he woke up, bleary and unfocused. He did not recall falling asleep, or crying himself to sleep, but he knew he felt like hell, especially in his heart. If he looked at a mirror at that moment, he could have seen why everyone else thought he was hurting.

The novelist was hurting. His head was pounding from the crying he was doing. He felt dried tear streaks on his cheeks and it hurt to blink his eyes. This did not last long, for another set came soon after he realized that he was alone in the hospital room. His golden eyes, usually cold, were puffy and red. Hair was everywhere, just like it was when he had awaked in the morning. And he was reminded that this was the second time he had awakened that he was alone.

That damn tart was not with him.

Something in him hurt. A pain filled his chest and he clutched it, taking deep breaths to try to breathe. He seemed to **_see_** the color fade away from his life. He could **_feel_ **his happiness drain away. He **_sensed_** that he would not be able to stop himself from drowning in despair.

He heard something from the table that his bed was on and groaned in distain. They had hooked the IV back in his arm while he was sleeping. He hated the stupid beeping of the machinery. He also heard something faint from a radio that was turned on and the pain returned. His hands clutched over his heart tighter.

They were singing the lyrics he had written for Shuichi on the radio. It tormented Eiri even more as he heard some of the lyrics. He screamed and took one hand and smashed the radio on the floor, silencing it for a moment. The song reminded him of his love for Shuichi.

His love . . . the man he failed to protect from even those close to him.

_Shuichi!_ Eiri called silently in his mind.

The radio played it again, this time playing a line from the song. Eiri cried harder. His walls were shattered, broken. The masks that he wore around everyone fooled everyone else but Shuichi.

Shuichi had found a way to break every one of them until the novelist's heart was out on his sleeve. Damn, he hated that kid.

"_You're cold and indecent, but I want to see you---"_

"Shuichi!" Eiri yelled in his torment. "Stop haunting me with the damn song! I can't take this anymore! I'm sorry, you stupid fucking **_brat_**!" He made a croaking sound for a moment before he lowered his foot on the radio and had smashed into pieces. The torment would cease now.

At least, that Eiri could hear.

_You're cold and indecent, but I want to see you._

He laughed at the irony of it all, but stopped as he heard someone opening the door. He paused, took in the long hair and the concerned look on his face and glanced away, wiping the tears away from his eyes. How he hated this bed, this hospital. Eiri loathed the very place.

It reminded him of the confinement that the boy's life was in now. How a simple machine could either give back his life or destroy it.

He saw the figure move over to him and had seen someone closing the door. A nurse was standing at the door, gasping at the sight of the radio, smashed on the floor. But the man standing there did not glance at it. He only glanced at Eiri's eyes and nodded to him. "You, I must say, look like hell."

"Nakano," Eiri addressed him, looking away from the long haired guitarist.

"I guess even you care about him. You need anything while I'm here? I doubt they'll let you come out of that room for a while."

"What kind of question is that?" Eiri asked flatly. They did not have the same type of emotion they did before. The once sarcastic question now was underlined with sadness and grief. "Besides having a cigarette, you probably know."

"Maybe, but—"

His gold eyes glanced at the other's eyes. He saw the pain that nearly mirrored his own. Tears once again formed, but did not fall.

"I don't blame you for what happened to Shuichi. You tried to stop them. Even if Shuichi didn't see . . . . he knows you cared."

The nurse that had stood there had interrupted. "Shuichi Shindo, you mean? He was just admitted into the hospital. Poor boy."

Both heads snapped. Eiri's voice quivered a bit, Hiro's was thunderous as they both simultaneously said, "How long!'

"An hour or two, I think. They rushed him to the emergency room. I assume you're friends of his, from the way you're talking." She fixed her nurse's cap and had glanced at Eiri and Hiro. "We can't find the boy's parents. I hope they didn't find out about their son over the television."

"His parents aren't his legal guardians right now, anyway," Eiri muttered, sniffing softly. Damn, he needed a tissue. He reached over for them and blew his nose. It took him a moment before he spoke again, wiping the tears away with another one and throwing both in the trash can. "He lives with me. So anything that needs to be signed or—"

"The hospital's policy is only for family, though," she pointed out. "If we—"

He saw Hiro taking a seat now next to Eiri's bed. "His parents know that he lives with him. Besides, they won't be able to make it back in time anyway, if Shuichi needed surgery. They're on a cruse in the Virgin Islands. They flew out yesterday, so they wouldn't even get there till tomorrow morning. And getting tickets back is nearly impossible."

The nurse frowned. "This is bad. The doctors won't---"

"Talk to Tohma Seguchi," Hiro pressed. "If that man can't prove to you that the man standing in front of you is Eiri Yuki, then I don't think anyone could."

"And just where—"

"Outside!" Hiro yelled. Eiri saw him trembling with rage as he stopped up, pointing to the door. "If Shuichi needs anything, talk to him or to Mr. Yuki. I'm sure the two of them could take care of his consent forms."

The nurse looked confused, as did Eiri. He did not understand why Hiro was defending him this way. If anything, he thought that the man did not approve of the relationship. But how many times had that boy gone over Hiro's house and came home the next day after Eiri had kicked him out?

In the end, he suspected that Hiro had convinced him. He was grateful in that sense. And he was grateful now.

"The only person who could even know what's good for Shuichi would be the cold hearted novelist who just happens to be in this room," Hiro continued, glaring at Eiri. "I hate admitting it."

"Who're you calling cold, punk?" The novelist retorted. "You honestly think—"

_So it is true_,he thought, stopping himself._ Even Nakano thinks Shuichi's good for me. I'll let his comment go for now. _

"If I didn't see you like this, I might," he heard Hiro tell him. "But something changed you, and we both know Shuichi has that power. Tell me I'm wrong."

Eiri looked away, staring at his bedsheets as if they were interesting.

"Something's changed you, and it's Shuichi. If I'm wrong, how come you seem to give off this feeling that you'll break or go insane if Shuichi is dead?"

"I feel dead," Eiri slipped. His hand went over his mouth as he leaned back against his bed and tried not to cry once more. He really hated to cry. He thought he looked like hell as Hiro blinked and had a look of shock on his face. "I took that brat for granted. And now . . . I want him back.

"Is that so much to ask for, Nakano? Is it so much to have someone you love come back to you? Comfort you in the morning? Tell you how much you love them, no matter how mean they are or how annoying they are to you? Or distracting? Even if his lyrics do suck," he added softly, "At least he tried. I really wanted him to sing those lyrics."

Hiro just stared at him. Eiri glanced away again. He felt the guilt returning to him. He was right. Shuichi changed him.

_Damn you, Shuichi. You made me fall in love with you. And now---_

"So you're Eiri Yuki?" The nurse asked, staring at him. "The rumors about you aren't accurate, if you're not acting like a complete bastard."

"Who're you calling a bastard, lady?" Eiri barked, annoyed that there was so much drama going on. "And I thought he just told you that I was Eiri Yuki."

"Oh, I must not have heard correctly," she said softly, She had her hand on the doorknob and had opened the door. "Let me talk to the doctor about those forms. From what I've heard, you're his only hope for survival, should he allow you to fill them out. We'll take it from there once he hands me the forms. I'll be back momentarily."

His eyes closed softly. "Your name is . . .?"

"Arlena. But it's alright, Mr. Yuki. I can convince him that you can fill out the forms. Do not worry too much about that." Tipping her hat to the two men, she had turned out the door. "When I come back," she called, "Mr. Nakano will have to leave. He's staying past visiting hours right now."

"When can I get this damn crap off me?" Eiri muttered. "I don't need this anymore."

"I can see about getting you withdrawn too, Mr. Yuki," she called. "Just stay put." The door slammed behind her.

"Aww fuck," Eiri said, scratching his head and pulling out some hair. "I want a fucking cigarette. I can't deal with this shit if I can't have my fucking cigarettes."

It seemed that Eiri was beginning to regain some of his composure. At that, the blonde was partly relieved. But he knew he would probably crumble soon if something did happen to Shuichi.

-----

Shuichi felt lost and afraid as he tried to see in front of him. When his eyes opened, the world seemed to come out all wrong. It was blurry and it wobbled. He felt like he was moving. He felt as if he was going too fast and feebly reached out to grab something steady.

Touching the metal bar on the stretcher bed threw him back into his nightmare. It was one he could not awaken from, no matter how hard he tried. The tears had formed back in his eyes as he thrashed from where he was laying, and suddenly he screamed pitifully, hoping anyone could hear him. But it was to one person, and one person alone.

"Y….Yuki…."

His hands groped in front of him, catching air. He could see in front of him. The world stopped now. Nothing moved. Relief flooded through him as he realized that he was still.

Opening his eyes, he came to and saw that he was in a dark place. Dark and cold. Like Yuki's car. He remembered how foreboding the car was and shivered. Shuichi was cold now, and frightened. He felt himself being restrained from where he was and began to cry silently. "Where am I---Yuki…Yuki, where are you?" he moaned as he felt a pain in his chest.

It was hard for him to breathe. He could not breathe. The world seemed to swallow him in the darkness that was growing around him. All he saw was black as he closed his eyes, too weak to do anything else.

He heard someone coming closer to him and reopened his eyes.

Shuichi was deathly afraid now. He could not understand what was happening to him. His mind was cloudy and he could not remember anything other then when he was with Tatsuha and Ryuichi. The thought of Tatsuha made him cry. He felt like he had abandoned Yuki.

He wanted Yuki again. He wanted him to call him the names that were endearing to him. Shuichi tried to sit up, to look for Yuki, but felt a pain in his ribcage. The breath left his body as he began gasping for air. "Y….uk…i…" he whispered, falling back against the bed he was laying in.

The world became dark again and Shuichi's eyes closed. Yet sleep did not come to him. Sleep never would come peacefully for him until he saw those eyes, the eyes that told him he would be safe, and be loved. Shuichi sniffled. He did not want to lose Yuki to Tatsuha.

And at the mention of Tatsuha in his mind, he saw the other's face. The one that looked nearly identical to Yuki's. He tried to push it away, but the black haired man kept coming back.

That kiss came back and it made Shuichi cry harder. He could not do a thing to stop him. Part of him felt ashamed. Most of him felt violated that someone else would dare to touch him. Worst of all, he felt like _he_ had betrayed Yuki.

And Yuki was not here. Yuki probably already knew.

_Yuki hates me now,_ Shuichi thought. _He thinks I really cheated on him for his brother, didn't he? Is that why I can't see him? Is that why I'm alone?_ His eyelids flickered as he tried to sleep again. The movement came back underneath him and he began to scream loudly, but only coming out in weak cries instead.

"Lemme go, Tatsuha! I'd rather die then let him see me with y…ou…" His voice dropped off as he struggled to breathe once again. The pain returned and he gasped, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.

He was down the hallway when the darkness hit him fully, and Tatsuha's face was still at the forefront of his mind.

---------

_I have to get out of here. I'm going to go insane._

It was the fourth time Eiri thought that in the last five minutes as he ripped out the IV and the other machinery hookups for the second time that night. Something was eating at him and the bad feeling would not go away. He could have sworn he heard someone calling for him a moment ago, but knew that there was no one talking to him. Hiro had left shortly after the nurse did, shaking his head.

In short, Eiri Yuki was becoming unglued. And he did not like it, not on bit.

The man had risen from the bed and had cursed himself. They had changed him out of his clothes, and into some stupid hospital gurney. He hated wearing them. They showed off too much of his body for him to be comfortable with. His hand went to undo the string on it as he saw that his clothes were in a bag on the chair beside the bed. Eiri sighed in relief and began to change out of the stupid thing. He did not feel the need to be here, even if he was having severe chest pains.

As he grabbed his clothes and hurried into them, he had felt his wallet that was in his jacket. He blinked and opened it, flipping around until he found something and looked at the picture in his wallet. It was a photo of the two of them on their date a few years ago. It was one of the only pictures that Eiri had ever kept of him around. He had another one, but that was on his cigarette lighter, which was not there.

_Damn. So much for that smoke. I guess Nakano might have a light._

He glanced down at the wallet again and noticed that one of his credit cards was missing. He found that odd and sighed softly. He had a feeling that Tatsuha had stolen it because he had drunk his beer again. Eiri would retrieve that after he saw him and beat his face to a pulp. The mere thought of him was enough to make him want to punch the first thing available.

Gold eyes glanced back to the wallet and had pulled out another card. It was Shuichi's insurance card. _It's a lucky thing I got it from Tohma when he moved in with me. His parents might not like the idea of me being his caretaker, or his boyfriend—_

Eiri stopped a moment. He admitted it to himself. His boyfriend. His lover.

His resolve grew deeper. He _had_ to make sure Shuichi pulled through this.

_---but at least Tohma considered him on the insurance plan, even if he's technically not family…yet._

Eiri buckled his pants and sighed, remembering that he had his shirt to put on. He threw the jacket down to try to put it on with two hands, but left the wallet in one of them.

Reaching for it, he threw it on and had stopped, leaving it unbuttoned. He grabbed the jacket and shoved the wallet back in, noting that it was rather hard to put the rest of his clothing on when he was holding it and Shuichi's insurance card. He shoved that back in his pants pocket and had buttoned his shirt.

It was then that he **_felt_** someone calling his name. He felt a pain in his chest and gasped. The air seemed to leave his body as his hands shook.

"_**Y…Yuki…"**_

The pain left after he heard his name in his own mind.

Eiri abandoned the thought of putting any other clothing on and grabbed his jacket and the card, running out into the hallway. He was worried sick now. That voice . . . it couldn't have been . . .

Yet he saw a team of doctors pushing someone in a stretcher and saw a familiar head in that mess of them. Something pink had flashed in front of him and Eiri saw that his hands were moving toward something. Then he tried to get away from it and tears came down his eyes.

Eiri ran over to where they were, watching them in the distance. He did not notice that everyone else for Shuichi was watching him, as they could see him from the waiting room. He was not too far behind the stretcher as he heard the figure scream loudly, but pitifully.

"Lemme go, Tatsuha! I'd rather die then let him see me with y…ou…"

"Shuichi!" Eiri yelled from where he was. "Shuichi!" He tried to run over to where he was being pulled to but felt someone grab him by his arms, restraining him. Eiri growled and an anguished cry escaped him as the pain in his chest returned.

"Eiri!"

He recognized the cry as being his brother-in-law's and could not find the strength to speak. His mouth remained open as a strangled gasp escaped him. Eiri sunk to his knees and he felt the person letting him go.

The novelist reached out a hand to the stretcher, as if he could pull him back. "Shu…i..chi.."

"He's alive."

Eiri's head turned around. "What?" He winced a moment as he held a hand over his chest and stood up slowly. "I know that. But he looks so . . . " His eyes glanced away as they blanked out for a moment, remembering him on the stretcher with everything hooked up to him.

"He was pretty bad, Eiri. But never mind that…Mr. Nakano informed me that Shindo's parents aren't around to sign consent forms. The doctors are being strict about this procedure and won't let me do anything about it. Do you think you can do something?" Tohma looked at him and Eiri sighed softly.

"Don't tell me you're trying to keep him alive for your record company, Seguchi."

Tohma laughed. "Would suit you, but no. It's for your own sanity."

The other looked quite bewildered. He even backed up a moment, as if not hearing him right. "My sanity? You mean to tell me you're not chasing him away anymore, Seguchi?"

Tohma shook his head. "You changed. We all did. He has the power to influence others, don't you think so?"

**_"Something's changed you, and it's Shuichi. If I'm wrong, how come you seem to give off this feeling that you'll break or go insane if Shuichi is dead?"_**

Eiri remembered Hiro's words in the hospital room and had nodded softly. He covered his mouth and shook softly. "But I didn't want him to influence me. He just got to me, you know? And the next thing I knew, I felt comfortable with it.

"But the stories, the novels . . . the happiness I had . . . "

"Eiri. I won't let Shindo die. I can't let him die. It would hurt you."

_Not this shit again,_ Eiri thought in distain._ Not this "Eiri, I'll protect you" shit again! Can't he see that he's reminding me of what I failed in? Of course he can't. _

_  
He never will._

"Don't say that, Seguchi," Eiri whispered. "Just let me go, for god's sake. I was happier when you didn't get your ass in my business. Not that you'll ever see that, but don't try to **_gallantly_** save Shindo for my own **_sanity_**. Don't you even like him as a person?" His eyes turned back to where the stretcher was and looked down the hallway.

"Shindo is an interesting person; I just hate seeing you hurt. It wasn't Shindo's fault and I'm angry because I can't blame him."

He turned his head around and got up in Tohma's face, pinning him against the wall. He had not touched him, but he could see Tohma's shock on his face. "Look at what's under your nose instead of over it, sometime. Perhaps you might understand things a bit better if you did."

"Perhaps, but that was not why I came."

Taking a deep breath, the blonde stepped back, allowing Tohma some breathing room. "Then why did you run after me?"

"Tatsuha and Ryuichi are here."

Eiri took one look at him and chuckled. **_Chuckled_**. "Oh really now? They had the nerve to show themselves after the stunt they pulled? Do they realize what they've done to him!" The man sadistically smiled. "I'll find them soon enough. Right now though, I want to see about Shuichi's forms."

"Eiri," Tohma said, "Don't lose it in the hospital. Shindo wouldn't take it well if you were admitted to the mental ward so soon, would he?"

"I honestly don't care," Eiri replied, and he meant it. He didn't care. There was nothing that could hold him back, keep him from thinking like a sane person did. He **_felt_** Shuichi's pain somehow and knew that he had to punish Tatsuha for what he did. His eyes hardened.

Eiri hated when Shuichi cried and he did not do anything to him. It meant someone else had caused him pain. And he would do anything to ease that pain.

_**Anything.**_

"I warned him, Seguchi. I fucking warned my brother to leave him alone." Eiri shook in anger at the other of the night before when he had pushed Shuichi into his bedroom to yell at Tatsuha. _Was it only really yesterday that this happened?_ He asked himself this as he took a breath. "My brother is an idiot."

"Then press charges on him."

"What would that do, Tohma?" he asked, using his real name. "Mika would be upset…"

"At least he wouldn't be dead."

Eiri stopped talking. Death was a fitting punishment for his brother, but he did not want him dead. He damned himself for still being capable of loving his brother. Then again, he suddenly wondered how Mika loved her husband after all the things he did to Eiri and to her own mangled heart.

He had started walking past, deciding that the conversation with Tohma was over. A hand reached out to grab his wrist but Eiri leaned in near where he was and pushed him over to the wall. "Leave me the fuck alone, Seguchi. I'll deal with things my own way."

The novelist then walked past him, hurrying his step so he could let unshed tears make their way to his eyes. After a few seconds, he wiped them away.

Tatsuha would pay for his. And he solely blamed his brother, because his brother was the one who initially took Shuichi away from him.


	11. Fire and Ice Collide

Chapter Ten

Ice and Fire Collide

Ok, I confess, my last International Business paper got the better of me and it kicked me in the toosh, so I HAD to finish it. In the meantime, I have answered most reviews in a PM reply.

A very special shout out for this phonemical update must go to **AngelofLight**, who has helped me plot out some more of the story. Her role play skills are fantastic! We actually plotted out all this chapter! Her and her mother helped me with the hospitalization parts and proper documentations since well, I can't stand stories that don't have proper research done to them. So, credit for the help goes to Noramary McCabe, and **AngelofLight**, for taking the time to play with plot lines for Chapter 11. She makes an excellent Ryuichi, by the way, as well as a perverted Tohma Seguchi. cackles

Oh, just to let you all know, it does not end at this point with Eiri and Tatsuha. This will be a **_COMPLETED_** fanfiction story, with all loose ties attached. So there will be a few more updates.

And I'm happy because in 14 days, I get to go on vacation to England with my new Eiri/Shuichi bag! So my goal is to finish the story before I go away.

One more warning, if Eiri is slightly OOC to you, keep in mind that Eiri is sensitive to things that have happened to him. He is very emotional when unchecked. And he's gone completely nuts at this point.

This also has a lot of cursing in this chapter, so be forewarned.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled story . . .

---------------

Tatsuha and Ryuichi had just gotten off the elevator when Tatsuha heard something. He did not seem to be able to recognize it at first, but he knew that it was in pain. A hand was on Tatsuha's shoulder as he gasped softly.

The voice he heard . . . it was his brothers.

"Shuichi!" The cry sounded like it had hit his very soul. _Eiri's soul . . . it's crying,_ Tatsuha thought to himself. _I can feel it . . . what have I done!_

He stared in shock and was very still as he saw the gazes of the others coming to pass on his face. He saw Tohma's glare first, followed by the frightened looks of Hiro and Fujisaki. Mr. Sanako heard the cries and immediately tried to start screaming about the situation but Fujisaki hit the manager in the head, hard. This knocked out the manager of Bad Luck, who was slumped against K. K was trying to console Marian, who had burst into tears on his shoulder, hiding her face. He could see her mouthing out words and caught her saying his brother's name.

_Oh god, what have I done? I didn't mean . . . I didn't think it'd go this far!_

"Was that . . . Eiri?" Ryuichi asked, throwing Tatsuha out of his thoughts. The brown haired singer blinked as he tightened his grip on Tatsuha's shoulder. It seemed he was frightened as well. Tatsuha sighed heavily. He did not want Ryuichi to be sad anymore.

He had caused enough sadness this day.

Tatsuha blinked again. He forgot for the moment where he even **was**. The cry had thrown him off balance and he stared at Tohma's glare as he rose from where he was sitting, glancing back at Ryuichi. "...I...I don't know...but...whoever it is just...sounds horrified."

"You realize it's all your fault, don't you, Tatsuha?" Tohma had glared at him, tipping his ever loving hat at the black haired man. "You caused Eiri to be in this much pain. And the bad part is, Mr. Shindou might not even live because no one can sign his consent forms, except perhaps Eiri. They won't let me sign them, and I'm on the damn form." Tohma swore softly. "If Eiri is incapable, then they'll let me. Damn you."

Mika had risen as well, trying to calm down her husband. "Tohma—"

"So that was Eiri," Ryuichi said, looking at Tohma with a serious look on his face. Gone was the idiotic aura that he normally emitted. The serious side of Ryuichi came out and he sighed. "I am just as much to blame as he is, Tohma, maybe even Eiri is as well. If he paid attention to Shuichi in the first place, none of this would have ever happened."

"But Ryuichi, you're not at fault, really," Tatsuha replied. "You didn't know that it would lead to this. You didn't think it would get this far, did you? And besides, I thought you thought it was a game." Truthfully, Tatsuha was starting to see a side of Ryuichi that many people probably did not see.

"Eiri pays **_too much_** attention to the boy. That's just the point," Tohma snarled. "Now I'm going to go after Eiri. I would suggest you do not go after your brother, if you don't want to get killed. I don't think even I could stop him from killing blood." He had turned around and had started walking off, a pissed off look on his face.

"Tohma!" Mika cried, grabbing her husband's arm tighter. This attracted many people to look at them and Tatsuha heard Tohma sigh.

"I won't harm him, Mika. Tatsuha is just being a fool."

"Yes, but…I still love my brothers. Please…don't make this harder for me." Mika had turned away, her hair hiding her face. She had covered her face in her hands as she sat back down.

_Mika . . . I didn't think about how you felt either. How many other people have I hurt?_

Tatsuha had turned to Ryuichi and was visibly pale. " Ryuichi...what if he's right? What if...if Shuichi dies...and Eiri's all alone...oh god, what have I done?"

"Well, we'll just have to make everything better! Besides, it won't hurt to apologize! Let's go!" With that, he pulled once again on Tatsuha's arm and had dragged him to the other side of the waiting room this time, where Tohma was headed. They kept a considerable distance back, however.

This time, Tatsuha overheard one of the girls commenting about the situation.

"Hey, they have to be gay," one girl said. "Look at how the other is pulling him around **everywhere**!"

Tatsuha blushed furiously.

"You think he pitches or catches?" another girl asked the first one.

"The black haired one looks like a catcher. After all, didn't he kiss Shuichi Shindou?"

Tatsuha was crimson now. _Damn it, so it DID get on TV. I'm so screwed . ._

_--------------_

When they were out of earshot, Tatsuha had pulled on Ryuichi's sleeve, trying to get him to slow down. He was not looking forward to seeing his brother right now, after what Tohma had just told him.

Tatsuha was scared. He was very scared.

But at least Eiri's screaming stopped. It comforted him, in that sense.

"We...we really shouldn't, Ryuichi. Come on, stop," he pleaded. _I can't face Eiri. I can't. I'll---I'll end up dying. Eiri won't forgive me. I can't…_

_I can't forgive myself._

"You can't make things right if you're too afraid to try, Tatsuha," Ryuichi pointed out, stopping in mid step. Tatsuha had bumped into him and had perfect access to Ryuichi's eyes. Despite the situation, they were cold and loving.

"Yeah but Eiri has **_killed_** before," he whispered. "There's a slight problem with that. Shuichi's...I dunno, and Eiri is completely psycho, from what Tohma said. Then again, he really needs that stick out of his ass."

_Whatever happened to just going to Kyoto and talking to Shuichi and then drugging him to marry one of us? _he asked himself._ I wonder how Eiri would have taken that. At least he would be alive._

"I can't really blame Eiri for being mad. And you forget, your brother was always a bit of a psycho. It runs in the family, I guess. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise." Ryuichi smirked softly as he cupped a hand on Tatsuha's face. "If none of this would have ever happened, Eiri wouldn't have had the fire lit under his ass to melt his heart."

"But don't you feel bad taking it away from him like this?" Tatsuha asked softly. "I know I wanted him away from Eiri, for myself, really, but...it just seems wrong now. It's felt like that since that kiss." He wondered how Ryuichi would take hearing about that again after seeing him get distraught the first time.

"Of course I feel bad!" Ryuichi exclaimed. "Shuichi is my friend and I love him to pieces. I never wanted to see him hurt and to tell you the truth, that's why I helped you. I think we all hate to see him hurt all the time by Eiri's carelessness." The hand that had cupped his face lifted up his chin as Tatsuha tried looking away.

"Ryuichi . . . "

"Maybe . . . maybe we're hypocrites too."

"Are you sure you even know what the word means, Ryuichi?" Tatsuha asked him.

Ryuichi glared at him. The humor in the situation had long since past. Tatsuha was reminded of that as his glared eyes met his. "Just listen a moment, will you?"

Tatsuha nodded and sighed.

"I think we were so blinded by our self righteous feelings that we overlooked what was really important . . . Shuichi's feelings."

_He's right. It wasn't as if we didn't know what Shuichi wanted . . . but were we right?_

It took Tatsuha a moment to nod, agreeing with what Ryuichi was saying.

_No. It wasn't. That's why I felt it was wrong. I should have stopped it sooner._

"It's not the cause of an action that makes it good or bad, it's the reason behind it. I think we're all to blame for this, so we should all take responsibility for it . . . no more and no less then our involvement. Now we have to face up to our fears . . . and that includes facing Eiri , Tatsuha."

"I don't want to die, though," Tatsuha said. He glanced away from Ryuichi as he suddenly pulled him again into a hallway, just a little bit away from Tohma. "I...if I have to die, then maybe I should stop kidding myself. I tried to pretend I wasn't gay. I abhorred them because they were **_happy_**, to some extent. And after Kitazawa, Eiri didn't know **_how_** to express those feelings. But Shuichi knew the meaning. He **_knew_**.

"All I wanted was someone to love me too," he confessed as he covered his mouth, trying to stop himself from shaking.

Ryuichi looked at Tatsuha, thinking for a moment. "Hey, Tatsu, wasn't that in a song?" Then he sighed softly. "So that's what this was all about? I see now. You and Eiri are so much alike . . . "He laughed. "It's scary, really."

"Now you're creeping me out," Tatsuha said, backing away a bit. "You're laughing just like Tohma."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Tatsuha looked up at him. "And what do you mean, I'm like Eiri?" he asked. "I like to think of myself as a nicer guy. I don't kill family the first chance my lover gets hurt, you know."

Ryuichi laughed again, amused by the whole situation. "Of course you are! you're both totally blind to things that are right in front of you." His finger tapped Tatsuha's nose. "You say all you really wanted was for someone to love you, right? Didn't you realize that someone already does and has for a while now?"

Tatsuha just stared at Ryuichi. "Are you sure you're even thinking about what you're saying? You're not just saying this to make me feel better or anything, are you?"

"I'm not that cruel," he pointed out. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a total idiot; it's just more fun to act that way. I thought it would be kind of obvious at some point, but you and Eiri are two birds of a feather. I wanted to help you because not only did I want Shuichi to be happy, but I wanted you to be happy too. If I couldn't make you happy, I was going to help you win the person who could."

"But I'm the one who caused this mess," Tatsuha said. "I should have listened to Eiri. I should have left him alone...like he asked me to."

"We can't change the things we've done, we can only learn from our mistakes, and this was a pretty huge mistake. So now, you have to try to atone for it."

"How are you supposed to atone for this, Ryuichi Sakuma?" A dark voice hissed as Tatsuha turned around and shuddered.

Standing in front of him was Eiri, but it was nothing like he had ever seen of him. His clothes, which were usually ironed and neat, were disheveled and sloppily put on. His gold eyes were whirling in anger and turmoil, and he put his hand in a fist as he walked up to them, grabbing Tatsuha and slammed him against the wall without warning. He had pinned him to his back and seemed to be pushing harder. Luckily, there were no doctors around or anything, but this was not good for Tatsuha, who trembled.

"Damnit, I don't want to DIE, Eiri! It's not like I could anticipate doing this to him!"

"Shut up. You're making my ears bleed with your pathetic whining." If someone had looked at the blonde, one could see the sadistic smile on his face. "You enjoyed kissing Shu, Tatsu? Did you think that you'd be able to hide it from me? Then you are a fool. I told you the other night, I'd beat you if you even **_touched_** him in ways he wouldn't want you to. And I don't think that Shu was very **_willing_**, don't you agree?"

"Eiri, stop it!" Ryuichi cried, trying to move over to stop Eiri's hand from choking Tatsuha.

A hand shot out as his head turned briefly to stop Ryuichi and had punched him in the stomach, hard. "You're just as much to blame. Who the **_fuck_** let you drive in the first place? Probably this dumbass here." Unconcerned with Ryuichi, Eiri had chuckled softly. "Yes, you certainly are a dumbass, aren't you, Tatsu?"

"And here I thought you cared about--"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear **_his_** name out of **_your mouth_**." An unfamiliar and creepy tone had escaped Eiri's voice. "Because of you, look what's happened, in just a day. I went from being almost done my novel to worrying about the one person who was always there. And now, he may not ever be. You didn't see him. He was **_escaping something_**." He fought hard to keep his composure. "You left him in that car. You. I imagine you did, because well. This idiot here was calling the hospital to save him. But you were the true mastermind, weren't you?"

Tatsuha didn't answer, could not answer as Eiri had moved his hand to go around his neck. He knew Eiri was not thinking clearly. He knew that his brother had completely snapped and was uncontrollable. _If this is how it ends...at least I know Ryuichi...w...as...there... _He tried to gasp for air as Eiri's hand tightened.

"Can't breathe, can you? Now you know how Shuichi feels, you stupid son of a bitch."

-----

"Eiri! stop!" Eiri heard Tohma cry out. He somewhat saw Tohma grabbing him and trying to pull him away. However, he would not let go. Anger coursed through his veins. Shuichi was hurt and Tatsuha had to pay retribution.

"Get. Off. Me." Eiri growled. Despite being dragged, he still had a good hold on Tatsuha's neck. The poor man's face was turning red. "I said I was going to make him pay for hurting Shuichi. No one messes with Shuichi. **_No one._** I can't stand to **_feel_** his pain."

"How do you think Shuichi will feel if you're landed in jail for murder after he wakes up? Don't you think that will hurt him too?"

_Sakuma, you wouldn't know! _Eiri thought as he tightened his grip on Tatsuha's neck. _How would you know if that would hurt him too? I couldn't protect him!_

"Shuichi will be alone then. He won't have anyone to comfort him when he wakes up. This isn't New York, Eiri. Tohma can't save you this time."

"Ryuichi is right, Eiri," Tohma confessed. "You can't kill him."

_Damn them. I don't want to think of New York. I don't . . . I don't want to remember that time . . . _Eiri had somewhat let Tatsuha's neck go but Tatsuha was flailing around madly, trying to get any source of air he could find. His vision started to blur. Fear had crept into his soul. He promised Shuichi that nothing would happen to him.

He did not want to kill someone else. But he did not see any other way.

"Tatsuha?" Ryuichi screamed. "TATSUHA!"

Eiri felt something rather unpleasant on his ass. The hands were groping around and growling, he had snapped his body around, looking to see Tohma Seguchi distracting him with a flirtatious technique.

"You left me no choice, Eiri. Besides, that wasn't too unpleasant for you, was it?"

He glared at Tohma and the rest of them as he dropped Tatsuha, who was breathing heavily on the floor.

"Are you alright?" The novelist heard Ryuichi asking Tatsuha. "Can you stand?"

He saw Ryuichi hugging Tatsuha close to him. "Thank god. I thought Eiri was really going to kill you."

"Eiri, you can't," Tohma tried telling him again. "Think of Mika. What would she feel? Do you care about your sister?"

"I don't care, honestly. They should have never taken him from me," the novelist whispered. "Did you **_look at him, Tohma!_** Did you look at how pitiful he looked, on those machines? They control if he lives or dies..." Eiri shook as he put a hand over his mouth. He had forgotten all about wanting to kill Tatsuha and just made gasping sobs. He felt like he was back in a nightmare he could not get out of.

"Eiri, he'll live. We'll get this all sorted out with the doctors and he'll be fine, but you have to calm down. If you want to help Shindou-san, you have to calm down. They won't let me sign the forms. It's all you, unless you're still like this. And you don't want me to do it. I know you don't."

Eiri faintly heard Tohma's words, but his mind had the scene in front of him pushed away as another came into place. He saw Shuichi. Shuichi in the stretcher, pushing away from something and screaming. It just rang over and over in his head. It wouldn't go away. He could hear the screaming loudly and gasped again. "Damn it, make it stop, I don't want to remember anymore! I keep seeing Shuichi...help him, for god's sake!"

Then an image of Yuki popped into his head. Yuki's lifeless body. The blood dripping off the gun of the once innocent 16 year old boy. His eyes were horrified and his hands were dripping in blood. Only . . . it wasn't Yuki that was in his head.

It was Shuichi that the 16 year old aspiring novelist had shot.

He had killed him and seemed to bathe his hands in his own blood, as if he could take away his evil sin. And despite the fear that he had felt at the very moment, he could hear Yuki's sardonic laughter echoing in the background.

"_You couldn't stop yourself from killing me. What makes you think you could protect that boy, too, Eiri? You haven't changed. You still are afraid."_

"Damn it, MAKE IT STOP!" he screamed. "Get the hell out of my head!" He groped for something, anything to try to get the image out of his head. Nothing was working. Shuichi was still laying there, cold and lifeless in his arms. His blood ran down Eiri's hands.

He could not look away. The blood tainted his once innocent life.

It was then he realized that Shuichi would never be the same again. This had marked the end of his innocence. He would always have the nightmares.

He would always fear life without Eiri now.

And Eiri felt guilty, because he had let himself down. He had failed himself.

-----

Tatsuha hugged Ryuichi harder as he heard his brother's anguished cries. He did not realise that the damage could be or would be this extensive. He had hoped that someone came by soon to calm Eiri down. If Tohma could not, Shuichi usually could. Yet . . . he was hooked up to a ventilator and tubes all around him.

Tatusha hated himself even more.

----------

"EIRI!" 

He heard a familiar voice calling out in the apartment that his mind had now ran to. He was still in Yuki's apartment, but was looking at the pink haired boy's dead body and at his blood that was on Eiri's hands. "Eiri!"

He finally was able to identify the voice as Tohma's. Even now, if he had flashed back to the present, nothing had significantly changed in the last few years. He felt Tohma's arms around him, trying to calm him down. He had ran in them and wept. He could always let his guard down in front of his brother-in-law, even if he had some creepy obsession with him.

"Shuichi---Shuichi---oh god---"

The image snapped away again as he heard his brother's voice. It sounded worried and it shook as he came back to reality.

"Are you sure that's wise, Tohma? They'll put him in the psych---"

"You're not putting me in a psych ward." Eiri's eyes glared at Tatsuha and Ryuichi. "I don't need some quack telling me what's in my head. I already know and it doesn't fucking stop. It just doesn't stop...god, why won't it go away!" He covered his eyes, as if it would go away, but he still saw the pink haired boy's face, lifeless in his mind. It _threw_ him back inside the apartment and Eiri screamed again.

Once again, he was comforted by Tohma's arms. But they were not the arms he wanted to comfort him. For now, he would take anything he could get

"We're just trying to help you. The doctors can give you something to make you feel better and take it—"

"I don't want any damn doctors, Tohma!" Eiri screamed. His eyes were blank as he saw past him. Shuichi was behind him. He was laying there, behind Tohma. "I want him to be alive! Damn it. . . I couldn't do **a thing **. . . I couldn't stop Tatsuha . . . I . . . I'm a failure, Tohma," he whispered.

"Oh Eiri . . ." Tohma's hand patted his back as he hugged him closer. "That's not true . . . not true at all. You've never been a failure; there was nothing you could have done. I won't let you take the blame for this. And I won't let Shindou-san either. It wasn't---"

"But why did it have to be Shuichi?" Eiri asked, saddened. It was amazing how his mood was changing. "He keeps haunting me. He's dead. I shot him. I killed him...I hurt him and I could do NOTHING""

"Eiri he's not dead! Snap out of it!"

Eiri felt Tohma shake him and he could see blurry visions of his brother-in-law, his brother and Ryuichi. It was like he was fighting to try to see his actual reality.

"You didnt kill him!" Tohma had went on. "Shuichi is alive, Eiri, and you'll be able to see him very soon. You just have to last until we can. Can you do that for me?"

"I…I don't know," Eiri whispered, weeping silently. "I just want it all to go away. I want Shuichi here. I…I feel dead inside."

----------

"Tohma, I didn't mean for it to go this far!" Tatsuha cried out. "Honestly! I just wanted---I wanted to know how I felt about Shuichi... And how...he...about..." He trailed off, feeling very foolish.

He leaned back into Ryuichi's chest as he saw Tohma move away from Eiri and get in his face. "Didn't mean for it to go this far? **_Didn't mean for it to go this far!_** Did you even think at all besides your own selfish thoughts! Did Shindou-san ask for your help? Did Eiri NOT tell you to stay out of it? Did Shindou-san go with you willingly? Has there ever been any doubt with how Shuich felt for Eiri?"

Tatsuha could only stare, as could Ryuichi. Tohma had never gotten this pisses at either one of them. And from the way he was going, he was bound to attract attention.

"NO! **_You_** are entirely responsible for this, you self centered narcissist bastard! **You**! How _dare_ you say that Eiri is only concern about himself because you have no room to talk! You have ruined the lives of everyone associated with this travesty! Even the reporter who's friends with Eiri! How do you think she feels? You didn't think of that, did you?"

"Since when did you call him 'Shindou-san'?" Tatsuha asked, now bawling at what he was hearing. He was indeed foolish. He wanted to gut himself right then and there, if Eiri or Tohma did not do it first. "Of course not, but Eiri treats him like shit, Tohma! Even you know that!" He screamed loudly, getting in the President's face. "You fucking **_know_** he treated him like shit and was cold and harsh to him! You knew it! You even _stopped them_ at one point! How can you talk, you mother fucking hypocrite! I'm foolish? I don't have an obsession with my _brother-in-law_ when I'm married to their sister!" Tatsuha did not care what he said, since he knew he was going to get reamed out anyway. And as loud as he was yelling, he would attract attention soon.

It didn't matter.

Tatsuha was going to be damned for the rest of his life, just hearing Eiri's screaming.

"You said the key word in there, Tatusha. WAS. You were just too blind to see that, and now look what you have done. You have as much have killed your brother and the person you love the most!"

"STOP IT!" Ryuichi cried, sniffling. "Can't you all stop going at each other's throats! We all know who's to blame and we all feel guilty! Screaming about it and killing each other isn't going to help!"

_You have as much killed your brother and the person you love the most!_ The words tore through Tatsuha's heart. He saw Eiri, looking at something in his mind and clinging onto Tohma's sleeve. He heard Ryuichi screaming. He saw Tohma's angered stance.

It was all him. And no one else. As if he need to be reminded of that. AS IF.

"I know...Tohma. I didn't...mean...to take it...like this...Isn't Eiri technically still checked into the hospital?" He just now thought about it as he heard voices coming from behind him.

"Yes," Tohma said, smiling evilly. He knew he was having fun torturing him. "And who put him here? Hmm?"

It was me," Ryuichi said softly. "I was driving that car, so don't even try to pin that on Tatsuha. I'm am as much to blame as he is, whatever punishment you give him, I expect the same."

Tatsuha just looked at Ryuichi, in the midst of tears. It was Eiri's voice that came through though.

"You're right, Ryuichi Sakuma. It is. But my brother hatched it, so he should have to pay the price. He's the one...one who did this to Shuichi."

---

Eiri struggled to stay focused, to see PAST Shuichi's supposedly dead form in his young arms. "I should press charges for this. If I don't, I bet Tohma will. It's just hard...my mind...I can't..." He gulped as he heard footsteps as well. They echoed loudly in his head. He wanted to scream. He wanted it to just go away.

But if he was distraught when the nurses saw him, he would be back in the psychiatric ward. He did not need that now.

Shuichi needed him.

"If you really love him, as you supposedly say you do, then why would you even _think_ of putting him through this, Tatsuha? Why? It's true, I don't know what to show that obnoxious boy, but at least I don't get him half killed," he hissed. "I never laid a hand on him, except in bed. And very gently, may I add."

"I don't need to hear about---

"God damn it, Tatsuha, just shut up for now, if you value your own life. If you want to live, I suggest you _help_ him through this and **_undo everything you have _**done. Do you know what you did? The boy may never be the same again." Eiri took another breath. "His lyrics were bad, but his voice was good. He can't breathe right now, Tatsuha. He can't. He's hooked up to some machine to even BREATHE. I wouldn't have cared about my car . . . if you hadn't left him in there!"

"I didn't . . . we didn't know . . . "

"Tatsuha," Eiri warned gently. "Just pray that Shuichi lives. Just do that. Sort your own screwed up feelings about your forbidden manlove, but leave Shuichi and I out of it. For god's sakes."

"Oh god..." Ryuichi gasped, putting a hand over his mouth. Eiri's right.. what if he can't sing anymore, Tatsuha? Then he won't sing with me anymore and I'll be very sad!"

Meanwhile, Tohma was trying to get Eiri to calm down a bit more. "Come on, Eiri. Let's go get you cleaned up and then wait in the waiting room. We'll get you checked out while we're at it, considering you're probably a bit unstable from not having your medication."

"He'll make it, Ryuichi," Tatsuha said. "He's going to have to. God, I'm such a fucking idiot. I rather honestly would be dead right now then to witness this."

"...you're more of a coward then I am, Tatsuha," Eiri said, wiping the tears out of his eyes. "Can't you even live with your own actions? Can't you try to atone for them? I'd forgive you if you did that...the anger may not go away for a while, but...if Shuichi lives, it wouldn't matter to me." His eyes glanced at Ryuichi. "I know you care. His newfound manlove, as Tatsuha likes to say, is probably you, and he saw it through Shuichi. He did the same thing I did. Such a bloody fool."

Eiri was satisfied at the rock star's shocked expression on his face.

"Come on, Eiri," Tohma urged, tugging gently on his sleeve.

He nodded. "I'm alright now, Tohma. Really..." Hh closed his eyes and opened them to glance at Tatsuha. "You're only lucky I don't do this because of Shuichi. Damn brat." He made a move to walk away but turned around unexpectedly and had sucker punched Tatsuha, hitting him in the nose, making it gush out blood.

He felt unexpectedly better. Some of the tension was released in a single punch. He did not think Shuichi would be too mad at him. After all, he had not had a cigarette in the last five hours. He really was craving for some nicotine.

"Just because I can't kill you don't mean I can't be pissed at you." He turned to Tohma. "Come on, Tohma. I think Tatsuha has had enough. Though I can't say if the police will look for him on not, like the idiot he is. Besides, I want a cigarette."

The crowd of footsteps had increased as he turned and moved away, wiping the blood on his black pants, where there would be no evidence of blood on him. Tohma followed, making sure that the novelist could walk properly. Eiri's eyes glanced back and saw Ryuichi kneeling over Tatsuha. Even if he could not kill him, he was satisfied with the outcome.

"If the police do show up, you can drop the charges, Tohma," he muttered. "I think that Tatsuha won't be taking Shuichi anymore."

--------

"I hate to say it, but I think you deserved that," Ryuichi's voice came in Tatsuha's ears. "Are you alright?"

_Of course I'm not,_ he wanted to scream. _My brother nearly killed me and instead he broke my nose. The only good thing about this is that he wanted the near vehicular homicide charges dropped if Shuichi lives. _

Tatsuha had cried as he held his nose gently. "Yeah...at least he didn't kill me, Ryuichi. I thought Bro was really going to kill me. God, that scared the shit out of me." He bawled uncontrollably, tugging one hand on Ryuichi's sleeve.

"Tatsuha, it's alright," Ryuichi said gently, hugging him close.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

They both turned around to see the nurse that had tended to Eiri coming their way. "You look like your nose is broken! Is there someone here intending harm? I could call security for you."

"Oh he's fine!" Ryuichi chirped. "His brother just punched him!"

"Punched him?" She sounded troubled, her eyes furrowed. "I'll call security. I cannot allow this to happen."

Tatsuha sighed. "No, no it's okay...It's been taken care of. It's a long story and it's best to leave it the way it is. Do you know about Shuichi Shindou? What condiction he's in?" He still held his bleeding nose carefully as he pressed, needing to know the answer.

He needed to stop the guilt from consuming him whole.

"Are you family?" she asked.

"Well no, but we kinda rode in the ambulance with him . . . " Tatsuha muttered. "Does that count?"

"I'm sorry," she answered, "but it goes against policy by telling outsiders the condition of the patients. Only family can know that information."

"What if I told you I was his long lost brother?"

Ryuichi received an odd look from the nurse.

"You can't see the resemblance?" he cried. "Here I thought Shu and I were twins!"

Tatsuha sighed. "Look, my brother lives with him, he's taking it really hard and he's his only real lifeline at the moment...that's why I'm asking."

"Mr. Uesugi's brother?"

Tatsuha nodded.

"Have you seen him?" she pressed. "I've been looking all over for him. He left his room and took out the IV again. I'm afraid the doctor is a bit upset but he understands the circumstances. I need him to sign some forms out on Shuichi's condiction."

"We saw him!" Ryuichi said. "He's the one who decked poor Tat-chan! Besides, I think he kind of deserved it anyway." He had still hugged Tatsuha, who was still bleeding. "You might want to hold your head up, Tatsu, to stop that---"

"Ryuichi, shut up!" Tatsuha said. Then he glanced at the nurse. "He's trying to talk to the doctors about Shuichi's health forms. They have some sort of living will document about if Shu went in the hospital...I heard him telling Tohma a while back...No matter how many times you keep putting Eiri back in the room, he's just going to be frantic till he finds out about Shuichi. I didn't know you were looking for him."

"Oh, you're talking about the health care proxy."

"Yes." _Now we're getting somewhere,_ Tatsuha thought as he stood up with Ryuichi's help.

"Well, he needs to be evaluated and observed for the night. But considering the circumstances, if he comes back to his room and let's us check him over, I'm sure we could work something out." She smiled softly. "Now, where can we find him?

"He went with Tohma Seguchi," Tatsuha informed him. "I think he's in the waiting room with Eiri."

"You should really get that looked at. It's most likely broken. If it doesn't heal right, you could easily break it again."

"I'm sure it is," he replied. "Eiri does punch rather...hard."

"And he was wearing a ring! Poor Tat-chan!"

Both Tatsuha and the nurse, who was Arlena, giggled as she walked past them to find Eiri.

"Ryuichi," Tatsuha said softly. "Why are you here? I did something—" He trembled.

"Tatsuha, it's alright. We'll make it through this. But right now, we should find a doctor for your nose. After all, we all heard something when Eiri punched you."

Tatsuha laughed, despite the situation. "You're right. Thanks, Ryuichi."

_It didn't go as badly as I thought. But now . . . we gotta wait to see how Shuichi is. It's really starting to grate my nerves. _ As he walked with Ryuichi guiding him, another thought popped into his head.

_Eiri . . . when he was screaming . . . what exactly happened to him? Is he alright? I hope he is, for Shuichi's sake. He's going to need him to get through this._

_And the worst part is . . . this was all my fault. _

_I'm so sorry, Shuichi. I'm very sorry._


	12. Love's Other Defender Against the Devil

Well, that was a long chapter, if I do say so myself. But that was well worth it. I even drew a picture from Chapter 10 of Eiri, though he's not colored cause I need to get good colored pencils.

But anyway, switching back to other things….

This chapter has been really hard to write for me because there's so much I want to do right now. So in the next upcoming chapters I probably will have a number of different things. All of this, keep in mind, has been in one day. I'm trying to get off it being in the same day because poor Eiri is going to lose his mind if another bad thing happens to him.

**_Summary so far:_** Tatsuha and Ryuichi had kidnapped Shuichi Shindo and had wrecked Eiri's Mercedes. While it wrecked, the car exploded, with the rock star inside. Shuichi had been rushed to the hospital and the others have learned that Shuichi cannot breathe on his own.

Our novelist, Eiri Yuki, has taken a blow from this incident, and, like the others, is hanging onto some sign of hope that Shuichi will make it through this. After a confrontation with Tatsuha and Ryuichi, the two barely manage to make it out of it alive. The only thing Tatsuha had managed to damage was his nose, with a surprise punch from Eiri.

Eiri, meanwhile, keeps seeing flashbacks of his past, meshed with the present. It is this that makes Tatusha realize what he has done. Can he and Ryuichi fix all the chaos they created, or will Eiri lose his mind and will Shuichi die?

And what will happen to Bad Luck now that Shuichi is in a life or death condiction? Will they still play without him, or will they disband?

Special thanks once again to my medical experts from the last chapter, AngelofLight and Noramary McCabe. I have finally figured out what Shuichi will have, and how to best approach this. However, I find it ironically funny that we both have come to the same conclusion that Tohma could be a Jewish man.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**DarkMetalAngel of Destruction: **Thank you for telling me it was in there twice. :p It was three am. -- Evil evil plotbunnies.

**Dejichan4444:** No, I don't Eiri will take Shuichi for granted anymore either. That was one of those chapters that was emotional and I cried after that. The picture I did was Eiri from that chapter. Can you imagine:p

**BlooDy-MaY: **Yeah, Tatsuha did deserve everything that Eiri had said to him. I couldn't think of what to do with the little bastard, even though I like Tatsuha very much :p

**rebelyell59:** I have replied to your review. Again, thank you.

**Fmalover:** Yeah, well, it just popped out of Kai. Needless to say, I liked it. We had to lighten the mood somehow.

**Amythest00:** Thanks again!

-------------

_I feel . . . dead inside. I wasn't lying when I said that. I---_ Eiri looked down at his hands, still seeing the image of the blood on them. _I do. And I hate having to pretend that everything is alright, because it's not._

_It never will be again._

" . . . Eiri?" A voice jolted him out of his thoughts as they had passed through the doors of the waiting room. "Eiri! Are you alright!" He saw Marian's head lift up as Mika had came over to where Tohma and him were standing, embracing her brother. "You didn't hurt Tatsuha, did you, Eiri?"

He did not feel like he was actually there. His mind floated. Eiri felt detached from everything right now. It was the only way to stop the vision of Shuichi's dead body from being on the ground wherever he walked. If he did not think of anything, then he could not see the body.

"…no, Mika," Tohma told her gently. "Eiri just roughed him up a bit. He should be fine, once a doctor sees him about his nose."

_At least Tatsuha will be fine. Hell, he had something in front of him all along. So why does he get to be happy and I have to suffer like this?_

_What did Shuichi do to deserve this?_

"Eiri." He felt Mika's hand on his shoulder. "Eiri, talk to me. You look so far away from everything. Come back a moment, if just to tell me that Tatsuha's alright." When he did not respond, she shook him.

Her hands shaking him were restraints that broke free on his mind. The image he had so fought to keep at bay returned. Mika's face became Shuichi's. Her face meshed with his so perfectly to him that he gasped. His eyes became blank again as he just began to hyperventilate.

The voices around him were not clear as he saw Shuichi gripping his shoulders tighter. The frail boy had an iron grip on Eiri's broad shoulders and was jerking him around. _"Yuki . . . Yuki, why? Why didn't you help me? Why did you have to let me die?"_

Those violet eyes started straight at him and would not look away. He saw the tears in Shuichi's eyes, the sorrow that was in them. Eiri screamed. He could not stand to see **_his _**Shuichi like this. "Can't you leave me alone, Shuichi! I tried! I tried . . . I'm hurting as much as you are right now . . ."

The shaking stopped as Shuichi looked at him. _"Eiri?"_ The pink haired vocalist had hugged him close, taking his head and laying it on his chest. His hands stroked his hair as Eiri sobbed uncontrollably, blocking out the world around him. He had finally found some sort of comfort.

But he was also so tired from trying to stay strong. He knew he could not anymore. Shuichi always let him open up if he was upset. He missed that the most about him. No matter what he did, Shuichi would come close to him, soothe him and hold him. "I can't do it anymore, Shuichi . . . I can't live anymore. You died. I keep seeing you, lying on the floor, blood all around you, soaking your hair. **_My hands . . . I can't get the blood off my hands_**!"

"_Yuki . . . it's alright now. I'm here now."_

"_**You're dead, Shuichi." **_

------

Ryuichi and Tatsuha, in the meantime, had been trying to get back into the waiting room, where they could get someone to look at Tatsuha's nose. He was grateful that Ryuichi had been beside him to help him walk. The pain in his nose was halfway between unbearable and a reminder of the pain he had put the people close to him through.

As he stepped into the waiting room, he noticed that Ryuichi stopped and grabbed Tatsuha's shoulders, indicating that he should stop for a moment. Tatsuha was confused, as his hands were around his trickling nose and his head was still held up to stop the blood flow from pouring. "Ryuichi, what—"

"Listen," the rock star said softly. "Listen closely now. Can you hear that?"

Tatsuha put his head down and cursed silently. The blood had gushed down again and he caught it with his hand. He never realized that people had so much blood inside them. He also wished that it would stop. The blood on his hands . . .

It reminded him of what Eiri screamed about.

About what the blood-chilling scream he just _heard_ was screaming about.

"I can't do it anymore, Shuichi . . . I can't live anymore. You died. I keep seeing you, lying on the floor, blood all around you, soaking your hair. **_My hands . . . I can't get the blood off my hands_**!"

"Eiri!" Tatsuha heard his sister scream. "Eiri, snap out of it! It's not Shuichi!"

Tatsuha forgot about his bleeding nose as he hurried into the waiting room, watching his sister holding his older brother close to her. He seemed to be clawing at his hands, as if he could take the so called blood off them. The tears shed down his face. He never recalled seeing his brother cry so much in just one setting.

Then again, _he_ had done this, had he not?

The blood on Tatsuha's hands was a perfect reminder of it. The reminder that he took everything away from his brother. His brother was happier when no one meddled in his affairs. And he . . .

He was just like Tohma, in that sense.

And that thought made him sick inside.

"**_You're dead, Shuichi."_** He saw Eiri cling to Mika harder, looking past Mika's face. "It's all my fault . . . all my fault you—"He had buried his head in Mika's chest as she cradled him close to her. Her glare at Tatsuha was all he needed.

It was like when she slapped him when he first came in. Tatsuha cried, watching the scene unravel in front of him. He heard the words come from Eiri's mouth, but was not sure if they were true or not.

"_**You're dead, Shuichi."**_

_Is Bro just hallucinating again?_ He asked himself as he felt Ryuichi's arms circle around him. He had forgotten he was crying, but could not tear his gaze away, even embraced by Ryuichi. _Did they really say that Shuichi is dead? What did I do?_

_**What in the hell did I do** to have Eiri deserve this kind of torture?_

Tohma gave Tatsuha another glare as he ran out of the waiting room, frantic. His hat dropped on the floor and Tohma just kept running down the hall. _The Jew lost his hat,_ Tatsuha smirked. _I guess the "mother hen" complex must be taking his toll on Tohma if he lost his trademark hat down a hospital hallway._

Ryuichi had patted Tatsuha's back as Tatsuha watched Mika cradle Eiri in her arms, stroking his head. "There, Eiri. It'll be alright soon. We still don't know how he is," she cooed.

"Shuichi . . ." He heard his soft sobbing from where he was. Tatsuha hated himself again. But just as he was reveling in his self-pity, Ryuichi pulled him aside and moved him over where K, Marian, Hiro, Fujisaki and Mr. Sakano were sitting. Then he saw two nurses with Tohma as he ran back in, with his hat in his hand.

"There, that's him," Tohma said. "Is there anything you can do for him?"

Tatsuha's eyes met Tohma's, but Tohma lost the glare in them as he saw the worry etched through his dark blue eyes. Tohma had stood beside his wife as she tried once more calm him down.

"You'll see him soon, Eiri. It'll be alright, and Shuichi can put your worried heart at ease. And he'll do the same thing we're trying to do now, Eiri. There's nothing you can do right now." She stroked his hair softly again as her eyes mirrored the pain that was in Eiri's blanked stare. One of the nurses put a needle in his arm and pushed it into it.

"What's that?" Tatsuha heard Ryuichi ask him.

_Only he wouldn't know what a tranquilizer is,_ Tatsuha thought as he tried to wipe the tears away. Luckily, his nose was not bleeding as much and he sighed. "A tranquilizer. You know . . . one of those pills that you take when you're tired."

"Those are sleeping pills," Ryuichi whispered. "Is that a sedative or something?"

"If you knew," Tatsuha said, "why did you ask me?"

"I wanted to make sure."

Tatsuha nodded and used a hand to wipe a tear away. "Oh, ok. It looks like Eiri'll come down now, though. His grip's already starting to weaken on Mika."

----

Eiri sobbed harder. "It's all my fault . . . all my fault you—"He felt something sharp stab into his arm and he felt momentarily dizzy. He grabbed onto Shuichi's form and he clung onto him, trying to stay stable. The dizziness would not go away and it began to consume Eiri in a cloud of blackness. "Shuichi . . ."

"_You'll see me soon, Yuki. And I'll do the same thing I'm doing now,"_ Shuichi seemed to whisper to him. He did not know if he was, since he sounded so far away. _"Yuki . . . take comfort. I'll always love you."_ His hand moved to his back and held him as he stroked Eiri's head. It seemed to lull him into the blackness as Eiri's eyes closed.

"Shu . . .i . . . chi . . . " Eiri murmured before the tears poured from his eyes. Sleep took over his exhausted body before he knew what was going on. But he still cried, despite being asleep. His demons would not be vanquished that easily.

They would only stop haunting him when Shuichi spoke to him again, with his soft voice that always whispered to him.

--------

Hiro just watched everything that was going on and did not think he could ever thing of Mr. Yuki the same again. Despite the way he treated the people around him and Shuichi sometimes, he never knew that Shuichi was loved that much by Eiri Yuki. _After all, Mr. Yuki screams at him when he can't get any work done or is on writer's block, _Hiro thought softly. _So how were we supposed to know just HOW MUCH Mr. Yuki cared for Shuichi?_

It was obvious now, by the way the man was tortured by seeing his lover's face. He never thought he would see the novelist break apart at the seams like this. It hurt Hiro for some reason, to just watch one of the most stable people he knew fall apart because Shuichi was hurt. _Then again, I don't think Mr. Yuki was stable. But he won't take Shuichi for granted anymore, I think._

_I think all he wants is just for Shuichi to hold him and tell him that he's alright. If they think sedating Mr. Yuki is the answer, then they don't realize the demons that haunt that man._

"He should be fine now," one of the nurses told Tohma. "He just is under a lot of stress. After all, I think anyone would be, in Mr. Uesugi's condiction." This nurse was blonde and had her hair cut short, to her neck. The other one standing beside her was an African American nurse, who walked away to go get some help and a stretcher. "Arlena told us that she was looking for him."

_She doesn't have to look very far now,_ Hiro thought. _But if Mr. Yuki was the only one to sign the forms for Shuichi, then who will now that his parents are not here?_ Then it clicked in his head. _Oh god. Tohma._

_And if Tohma had the chance, I bet he would pull the plug on Shu . . . unless he's had a change of heart about the events that happened._

_Then again, a lot has happened today, so it wouldn't surprise me if Tohma let Shuichi live. But . . . if he doesn't . . ._

_Mr. Yuki would never be the same person Tohma or any of us would have known._

"Who's that?" Tohma asked, confused. "Was that another nurse?"

"She was there when I went in, Mr. Seguchi," Hiro spoke up, his voice shaky at his revelation. "She was talking to him about medical forms for Shuichi, and said he was the only one that could sign for them."

Tohma nodded as he glanced to Hiro. "Mr. Nakano, let me assure you, first of all, that Eiri was not the only one that could sign the consent forms for Shindou-san. In case of something like this happening, we had put two people on the form." He took off his gloves and had wrung his hands together. "I wanted Eiri to have the decision in what would happen to Shindou-san. But I never anticipated this."

"If you're on there, Tohma," Hiro warned, "then do what's right and not because of what you feel for Eiri."

"It would have suited me to get rid of the little shit . . . at one time," Tohma replied. "I never knew Eiri wanted him around that much."

"Join the club," Fujisaki muttered beside Hiro. "I never understood what Shuichi saw in him, anyway. All he did was treat him harshly and cast him aside without a word." Hiro saw the look of fear on Fujisaki's face, an expression he had never seen in the younger Seguchi.

"Mr. Fujisaki, watch your tongue. Is that really needed right now?"

They all turned to look at the young woman who was sitting next to K, sniffling still at what was going on. Hiro thought that she was an emotional woman, but one who retained her grace from cold and biting words, directed at people only when absolutely needed.

"A lot of people were to blame for this incident, but the two who are to blame for it the most are in this room. We should not be accusing the finger at Eiri, because it was not Eiri's fault this happened in the first place." Hiro saw the reporter taking off her glasses and wiping away more tears as she cast a look at the African American nurse who took Eiri's form away on the stretcher.

"Marian," Tohma said softly. "Perhaps I was wrong about you."

_So they do know each other . . . at least, by reputation. But that doesn't change anything. The game has changed. And with Tohma, it could be a single thing that makes him pull the plug on Shuichi's life._

_Even if Tohma says he won't do it, what's to say he'll lie about it? The man is still a manipulative bastard, no matter what he says. He's always thinking one thing and acting apart from them the next._

Another nurse came back and the two nurses talked briefly. The blonde nodded to the older one and she had walked off, going over to Tatsuha and Ryuichi. "Come on. Someone needs to look at that nose, Mr. Uesugi. Arlena wants it checked out before any other . . . incidents occur." With that Hiro saw the two of them heading off with the other woman.

Hiro sighed a breath of relief. _At least some of the tension will be relieved out of the room, _he thought. _But that doesn't change anything about Tohma and his consent o those forms._

"Mr. Seguchi, I assume you have a copy of the form with you?" The lone nurse asked him. "It would help matters and help the doctors."

"Of course," Tohma said, pulling out a tan folder. "They should all be in there. If you can, please ask about Shindou-san and let us know what is going on. We're all family and want to know how he is faring."

"I'll see what I can do," the nurse spoke softly as she took his folder and had walked off in the same direction the other two nurses did.

"Whatever it is," Hiro said softly, "it can't be good, if Mr. Yuki is suffering like this." He stood up and had walked over to Tohma, Mika and the nurse. "Are you alright, Mr. Seguchi? Ms. Seguchi?"

Mika turned her head around to glance at Hiro and nodded, a hand covering her tiny lips. "I think so. Why don't we go sit back down and let Tohma take care of the medical forms?"

"Because I want to make sure your husband doesn't do anything devious," Hiro told her sternly. "Even if he says he has a change of heart—"

"Mr. Nakano." Tohma's voice cut through the conversation. "Under any other circumstance, I would immediately terminate your contract, if it wasn't this present situation. I realize you may not trust me . . . you would be a fool too, in all actuality. But do not accuse me of things that have not been done, or will not be done, yet."

Hiro's eyes met with Tohma's. "How do I know you won't go back on your word?"

"Hiroshi!" K barked, standing up and startling Marian. "Don't start anything here with Tohma! We're not here to fight about that!"

"This is about Shuichi, K. And I'm not backing down. I want his word that Shuichi will live through this." Hiro's eyes bored down at Tohma. "You're right, Mr. Seguchi. I should not trust you. I don't trust you, let me make that clear. But when it comes to Shuichi, I will do anything for him. He never let me down, not once. Not even when Mr. Yuki ripped his heart apart to protect him from you killing him."

_I bet he never knew that,_ Hiro thought in sastification as he saw the shocked look in Tohma Seguchi's face. _He never knew that Mr. Yuki was just protecting him. Any idiot could have seen._

_Except if they were blind by jealously._

"Nakano," Mika hissed softly, "Watch yourself. Your words are not---"

"What is it you want to do right now, Tohma Seguchi? Do you want your brother to suffer in pain for the rest of his life because of something that his other brother did? Do you want those cries to haunt your ears, as they do mine right now?" Hiro took a deep breath. "I hope what you do is for what is right, not for your personal feelings for Mr. Yuki."

"But everything is for my personal feelings for Eiri," Tohma said. "And let me just tell you something, Mr. Nakano. I said it 'would have' suited me. Since Eiri wanted him around, I've let up on them a lot. Don't you agree?"

_Well . . . Tohma did let up a lot on them. I do have to admit that. After Ryuichi left, he made sure he worked us to death to be just as good as Nittle Grasper._ "I'll give you that."

"Well, what's to say I don't like Shindou-san now?" Hiro saw a sad smile on the President's face. "He is an interesting person. And he makes my brother happy. He hasn't had to see a therapist since Shindou has lived with him. He still has his medications, but doesn't have to go every week to get things straightened out."

"But Mr. President," Mr. Sakano's voice came to him. "You said--"

"Does that matter, what I said in the past, Mr. Sanako?" Tohma demanded. "This was before everything happened today, or with Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck." He then turned to Hiro once more and nodded softly. "This was why I wanted Eiri to make the decision. I do like Shindou-san. I honestly do. If I didn't, I wouldn't have put him on the insurance plan with Eiri."

_What! _Hiro was just astounded by this revelation.

But it was another voice that said what he was thinking, and it belonged to the trigger happy manager of Bad Luck.

"You did what, Mr. Seguchi? Did you honestly do something like that for Shuichi?"

Tohma nodded. "Of course. Eiri came to be about it, after Shindou-san was sick for quite some time. That was actually one of the conversations we had after Taki Aizawa had his way with him. But I was not inclined to hear it back then." He glanced at the others who were watching him in shock.

Hiro just now noticed that most of the waiting room was empty. They must had scared them with the amount of raw emotions that were going on, or they moved them to another area of the hospital. _At least this is left between us and the team of nurses. And we can finally hear the truth in everything._

"But I had only taken that into consideration after they both approached me a few months ago, when they came back from New York to say goodbye at Kitazawa's grave. Eiri noticed Shindou-san was catching a cold and wanted to make sure that someone could fill out his forms if he was unable. And with the way his parents are, I doubt they could come in time. They're always away, from what Eiri tells me. So I had agreed on it." Tohma took a deep breath. "And I'm glad we did, because I don't think Shindou-san could even live if it was only him to sign his own medical forms right now."

They did not hear Arlena coming back and her voice startled all of them out of the fight they were witnessing.

"Mr. Seguchi, I'm sorry it took so long," she interrupted. "I'm afraid I had to make copies for the doctors." She handed the folder back to him. "The doctors are still working on him right now. They said that the damage is kind of extensive."

"Extensive?" Hiro asked.

"His lung was punctured in the accident. They're trying to get the fluid and the blood out of his lungs so that he doesn't choke on them. However, at the rate it's going, he might not live through it. Mr. Shindou has lost a lot of blood." Arlena had looked at the rest of them as she shook her head. "There is some chance he will live, however. They're preparing him for surgery. They're just waiting on someone to give their consent for it. I need to know, Mr. Seguchi, whether or not you would allow us to operate on Mr. Shindou and if this is what he would have wanted."

Hiro took a deep breath, hoping that he did not hear that he wanted Shuichi to die from the words of Tohma Seguchi. His heart beat fast. His head was screaming out thoughts of what he would to do him if he said to not operate on Shuichi.

But the voices stopped as he heard Tohma's reply.

"Go ahead and do whatever you have to save Shindou-san. I have no quarrel with him anymore. As long as he lives, then everything that has happened can be fixed. But, I have two stipulations."

"Yes, Mr. Seguchi?"

_Stipulations? What the hell could he be thinking?_

"You have to let Eiri see Shindou-san when he wakes up. It's the only way to stop him from these episodes that have been going on since arriving at the hospital. Shindou-san is also experiencing these, from what my brother in law saw. It will help them recover.

"The other one is that Tatsuha Uesugi must not be allowed to see Shindou-san alone."

"Tohma, you shouldn't do this to Tatsuha," Mika told him. "He feels bad enough about what—"

"Mika. The thing that Eiri said about Shindou-san was that he was screaming for Tatsuha to get away from him. He's obviously scared of him at this point in time. Would it be wise for your brother to go in and upset Shindou-san more, in his present condiction?"

_Wise man_, Hiro thought, smiling despite what was going on. _He really did have a change of heart. But this doesn't mean I'm going to trust him yet._

_  
At least I know he won't kill Shuichi because of his own jealously._

_He's only trying to fix the mistakes he has made, as are most of us now._

"Very well, Mr. Seguchi. I can see what we can do about Mr. Uesugi seeing Mr. Shindou when he wakes, but that will be at the doctor's discretion. Is that acceptable?" She had looked at Tohma and Hiro felt apprehension.

This was getting to all of them, and making even the calmest man become unglued.

"That will be fine, Miss . . . "

"Arlena," she replied. "I'm the head nurse on this floor. If you need anything, just call. The other two are in training, but they might be able to help you. As for anything about Mr. Shindou, I would advise you to ask for me. I don't like to pass information with word of mouth." She had backed up a moment to look at them once more. "I'll be back out in a while. I have to check on how they're coming along with Mr. Uesugi." And turning away, she was gone.

Hiro had watched her leave and had turned back to Tohma, staring at him. "Mr. Seguchi . . ."

"I respect you, Mr. Nakano."

This surprised Hiro. "Respect me?"

"You stood up for your friend, even when neither one of them could. Shindou-san has the power to change people. And I think Ryuichi was right. He has changed me." It was all Tohma said as he went back with his wife to sit down and calm down.

_Could . . . Tohma have been trying to apologize to me?_ Hiro asked himself._ If he was, I should just take it at that. I doubt that I will ever hear another confession from that man again like this. Even deep down inside, Fujisaki and him are alike._

_  
Even if they hide it, they still care for Shuichi,_ Hiro thought, smiling as he sat back down next to Fujisaki. _And despite that, he's right. Shuichi brought all of us together._

_I just hope he makes it through this. For all of our sakes._


	13. Tensional Battlefield

Chapter Twelve

Tensional Battlefield

For this chapter, there is a MAJOR shoutout to my medical experts because this is where we get technical in this chapter about Shuichi's condition. So a bow of applause to **AngelofLight **and Noramary McCabe. Also, I have to thank **chaosharbringer** because she gave me some good ideas for Hiro in this chapter.

I will also answer all reviews in PM form now, since there are several of you who have umm . . . started reading this. I can't believe I'm almost at 80 reviews! Thanks a lot, everyone! I appreciate it very much! I'll try to answer all your reviews but I'm about to go away and am taking care of stuff before I do.

**_As a note:_** This chapter's title is EXACTLY what it means. This is probably the most fun I've had with all of this, except with the car and when Eiri told off Tatsuha. Another thing to consider is that Marian plays some part in it, but not a major part. If I put her in and make a main part for her, please don't get upset. Probably after this chapter she will not be reappearing for some time. Several people did not want her to just drop out of the fic, however, I won't make her a major character because I have no heart to.

Also, we have a guest appearance from our favorite Gravitation jackass, Taki Aizawa! I seem to have several helpers with this story now since people have expressed an interest in the plotbunny madness.

If there are any Fujisaki fans in the audience, I'm very sorry for how he is treated. It was just so much fun to do, and something I think he would have done.

**Summary so far:** Tatsuha and Ryuichi had kidnapped Shuichi Shindou and had wrecked Eiri's Mercedes. While it wrecked, the car exploded, with the rock star blown out of the car through the back windshield. Shuichi had been rushed to the hospital and the others have learned that Shuichi cannot breathe on his own.

Our novelist, Eiri Yuki, has taken a blow from this incident, and had a confrontation with Tatsuha and Ryuichi, resulting in Tatsuha's broken nose. Meanwhile, Tohma had the power to decide whether Shuichi lived or died as Eiri had another episode and was forced to be sedated. The tension has thickened as Tohma said they could operate on Shuichi, after Hiro had fought with the President of N-G. But this does not comfort anyone in the waiting room.

As Ryuichi and Tatsuha go back into the room, they overhear fighting going on. Just what is going on in the room? And will everyone be able to stay calm or become unglued?

I do not own Gravitation, but I seem to own Eiri's soul a little more each day because I hear I write him so well. He probably would hate me if he ever met me.

Oh well. Now back to the story!

-----------

A little while later, Tatsuha and Ryuichi had gotten out of the doctor's office, with Tatsuha's nose patched up and reset. It turned out that Eiri had broken his nose after all and that Ryuichi was right. He was in a bit of pain as they reset his nose, but after the doctor gave him a shot of morphine and reset it, his nose stopped bleeding as much as Tatsuha could finally have his head down to see in front of him.

It did not stop the pain in his nose now and again, however. Nor did it stop the fact that he felt very unbalanced and had to have Ryuichi's support in walking back down to where the others were. His hands were on Tatsuha's shoulders, and he had to admit, it felt good to actually have something in his life. A tiny pang of guilt had sunk in about his brother, but he felt too good to care.

The morphine was taking another effect on Tatsuha. He felt as if he had drunk four shots of White Russians and his legs just turned into jelly on him. He stumbled forward and he felt arms wrap around his waist. Strong arms.

Stable arms.

The steady anchor that held him upright had pulled him back against him and had let his head rest on Tatsuha's shoulder. "So . . . about your . . . 'forbidden manlove', as Eiri so put it . . ."

Ryuichi's voice against his ear sent a shiver down his spine. Tatsuha wanted to be able to stand on his own, but it just was not possible. And it was not as if it did not feel good . . .

_But what . . . what . . . Ryu?_ His befuddled mind had made out partly what Ryuichi was doing. He let out a little noise as something kissed the side of his neck. "What are you going to do about that, Tatsu?" The hands that were around his waist let go as Tatsuha was completely leaning into Ryuichi's chest. Instead he felt him lift him into his arms and carry him down to their destination. "You should think about it some more. You'd feel nicer more often, I think." A twinkle escaped his eye.

Tatsuha found himself melting at the warmth he felt emanating from the other man's body. The drug had worked its way into his bloodstream and he yawned slightly. The stress of everything that had happened that day was starting to wear the younger Uesugi down. He wrapped his arms around Ryuichi's waist as he walked. The motion of it was putting him to sleep quickly.

"Ryu . . . Ryuichi . . ." Tatsuha's voice was soft as he nuzzled his head into his chest some more. "I don't know what I want right now, Ryuichi. I'm just—"

He felt the motion stopping and saw those eyes look at him, gazing down adoringly at him. "It's alright, Tatsu. Just enjoy the moment of comfort. After all, you saw Shuichi in me, didn't you? Or were you just looking for me all along?"

_Was I?_ Tatsuha's thinking dropped to near zero as Ryuichi stopped right before they got back into the waiting room. The black haired man did not realize they had stopped until Ryuichi smirked.

"Well, I think you were. And honestly, I don't think I'd mind too much."

"Ryuichi . . . I need . . . some time to . . . think about it," Tatsuha murmured. "My . . . brain's not . . . awake enough . . . Ry . . uic –"

Ryuichi's sudden kiss stopped the other from speaking. Those lips that pressed against his own spoke of their own power, and of their own passion. It was different then when he kissed Shuichi. He could not claim Shuichi for his own.

But Ryuichi could, and would, pursue Tatsuha until he was his. Until he was melted by Ryuichi's simplistic stare, or by something else the other man did. He felt his tongue probing into Tatsuha's mouth, but he already could not protest.

Even if he told Ryuichi he needed time . . . Ryuichi already could read the thoughts on his face and what his body did. Tatsuha honestly thought that he would be the one to claim Ryuichi, and to be the stronger one of the two.

But when it came down to it, Ryuichi had claimed him for his own.

In one soft kiss, Tatsuha Uesugi knew what he wanted. And what he wanted had been right in front of him all along. He sighed in content as his lips pulled away from his. His eyes could not stay open much longer. Sleep was catching up with Tatsuha. "Ry . . . Ryu . . ." he whispered, his hand reaching to touch the other's face.

"Don't talk, Tatsu. You're tired. Just sleep for now. I'll be there with you, until we know Shuichi's alright," he told him as Tatsuha's arm fell back down, over his body and dangled near the floor. "It's alright, Tatsuha."

_Yes . . . yes, Ryuichi. It will be alright. I feel it. _As sleep overtook his body, Tatsuha smiled for the first time that day and had nuzzled his head back into Ryuichi's chest.

------------

Taki Aizawa had been wandering around the emergency room floor, trying to see where his friend, Maa, was. He had to bring his friend into the hospital because of a fight that had ensued at a local tavern and he had fallen face-first onto a metal stool. This had resulted in several broken teeth and a nose injury, along with some stitches at the bottom of his chin.

Since he was waiting for Maa to come out of being stitched up by the doctors, he had proceeded to try to go back down to the waiting room area to wait for him. However, the former star of ASK had wandered into the surgical area, and had been able to look through a window to see what was going on. What drew him to this particular window were the nurses that were yelling in the background. One was scribbling down something for the moment while he watched someone else talking.

"What're we working with?" a male doctor asked. He was in light green scrubs that surgeons wore and had glasses on his face. Taki thought that was odd that he would not have contacts in his eyes, but had listened to the conversation. _After all, nothing interesting is going on anyway . . . _

But it would in a moment as the nurse started replying and was cut off. It belonged to the blond haired nurse that had been helping Eiri and Tohma in the waiting room. "Blood pressure 64/40 . . . it's not good."

"Then we have to hurry," he heard the doctor say. "He might not make it if we wait around much longer."

"Oxygen levels are almost—"

His eyes turned to the figure that was lying so pitifully in the bed. _Shuichi Shindou!_ He cried silently. _The rumors on the television were true after all! _

_I didn't think that Ryuichi Sakuma or that stupid novelist's brother would be the ones to harm him, though. Didn't Sakuma have some sort of relationship with the kid? _Taki hands were pressed to the window and so was his nose as he peered in closer. _I wonder ---_

"He's flatlining!" the blonde nurse screamed. "We have to hurry!"

Taki saw the team of doctors running around, trying to get medical tools. The doctor had looked at all of them and had thumped on the patient's chest twice, one after the other in an attempt to save him. If Taki would have stayed to look, they would have seen that Shuichi Shindou had regained rhythm in his heart.

But after seeing that, Taki fled. He could not watch anymore. The competition was up. It always had been since Tohma Seguchi had fired him and disbanded ASK. But he still would have liked to reform his band one day to compete with Bad Luck.

_Now it's over, _Taki thought as he ran. _It's all over. I don't know how his fans will take it, or Mr. Seguchi, or even that novelist murder. How will they take it . . . _

_How will they take it when they find out Shuichi Shindou is dead?_

Taki had continued to run out of the area he was in and had bumped into the familiar nurse who ran the medical unit, Arlena. He had seen her huff and shake her head, as if to say "How rude", but instead he heard her yell, "Don't run in the hospital, sir!"

Don't run be damned.

He just wanted to go back into the waiting room and get Maa out of there. He did not want to stay any longer then he had to, for seeing the sight of Shuichi Shindou's dead body had scared him. And it was this that made him scream in shock.

"Shindou's dead!"

He did not realize that eight pairs of eyes were looking at him, the confusion swirling in each pair. Taki also noticed a familiar glare coming from his former boss and sighed.

_This is going to be a long night, after all._

-------------

It was Tohma who had heard the voice first and had glared at the sound. _I never thought I would see or hear from Mr. Aizawa again. What is he doing here? And what is he yelling about Shindou-san for?_

Tohma's head turned briefly to watch the rest of the people in the waiting room, which was mostly the Shindou party. Hiro and Fujisaki turned their heads at the sound, blinking in disbelief, it seemed. K was trying to reach for his jacket but noticed that his gun was not there. Tohma smirked as he remembered that K had to fight with security to just get in, but relinquish his magnum.

His wife's hand on his arm alerted him to her presence and he saw her gasp as she heard the words from Aiwaza's mouth. "Mika . . . I wouldn't believe anything that man says. Don't work yourself up over it."

"Yes, but . . . what if it's true?" she asked.

Marian had just looked rather shocked at the whole thing as Tohma gave her a sympathic glance. Normally he did not get on well with the woman of many trades, but in this sense, this was an experience they all shared. And so, Tohma felt an obligation to comfort the women in the room. He had to set the example, after all.

Even if he did not like them, as they so thought.

But it was not that Tohma did not like them. It was that he wanted to hide his feelings from them. Except, of course, about his precious Eiri Yuki, which he expressed in elaborate detail.

Tohma also heard sniffling as Ryuichi had started crying, carrying a drugged Tatsuha in his arms. The man was known for crying crodicile tears, and he did not want Ryuichi to panic and think something that they did not know was true. The blond haired man sighed in relief as Tatsuha woke up, but he noticed that his eyes were glassy. _They probably gave him morphine,_ he thought, trying to block out Aizawa's screaming. _Tatsuha never could handle morphine or any sort of painkiller well. At least he won't cause any trouble._

_But then again, something else always seems to come up. I can never get my business clean of trash, can I?_

As Tohma glanced back around, he came in eye contact with Taki Aizawa, who seemed to be in a mix of skipping down the hallway and running. Something was in his eyes that Tohma could not make out and this disturbed him. _Shouldn't someone be a bit frightened after seeing someone die? Even if they felt . . . resentment toward them?_

"Mr. Aizawa," he heard his cousin whisper. "What's he doing here?"

"Don't ask me," Hiro had remarked beside him. "He's nothing but trouble."

_Nakano is right about that. I haven't had anything good with Aizawa since he first played in ASK. But that was short-lived after he went after Eiri and Shindou-san. So . . . what exactly is he doing here?_

_Never mind that,_ Tohma scolded himself. _I rather have him out of the way. With him screaming about Shindou-san being dead, that certainly will not help matters._ "Mr. Aizawa," Tohma addressed him, "you can stop screaming like an idiot now. I don't think anyone appreciates it, especially since a professional has not yet told us the very thing you are proclaiming is true."

"Tohma, what is he doing here?" Ryuichi sniffled, trying to stop himself from crying. He had pulled Kumagoro out of nowhere and had held it as well as Tatsuha's sleeping from as he moved over to where the rest of them were. He had placed Tatsuha in an empty chair and allowed him to sleep some more as he hugged Kumagoro tightly to him. "How would he know about Shuichi?"

"Yes, do tell us, Aizawa," Hiro pressed devilishly. "Just what do you think you're doing here? You have no right to be here, either."

Tohma laughed softly as he saw Aizawa's look of fear as he glanced at Hiro. _It seems that Nakano also has a knack to put fear into people. I wonder . . . had he done something like this to Eiri before? No matter. What is done is done. Aizawa must be dealt with now, if to just stop Ryuichi from crying._

"Maa . . . Maa was hurt in some fight, and I had to drag him here—"

"I didn't expect you to answer," Hiro shot at him. "I said you had **_no right_** to be here. Do I have to escort you out, Aizawa, or do you know how to get to the door on your own?"

Mika had taken a breath and stood up but Tohma saw K push her back down in her seat from the corner of his eye. Tohma nodded to K, allowing his action to take place. No words were exchanged as K had thrown Mika out of the way and had stood up. He heard her cry of protest, but did nothing to comfort her. That would come after they had thrown the former ASK singer out of the waiting room.

"I want to know how he knows _if_ Mr. Shindou is down for the count," Marian said in English, trying to control her temper. He noticed that her voice was beginning to shake.

The only people that could understand her were Tohma, Mika and K, so when she spoke, she did not make sense to everyone else. He saw her hands shaking visibly and Tohma sighed. _I had forgotten. This needs to be remedied immediately. In Miss. Tamika's present state, she could very well expire. Even if she . . . gives off a strong presence . . . diabetic shock would not be a good way for her to---_

"Japanese, girl," K said. "Remember, not everyone can speak English."

"...I keep forgetting. But why is that asshole here?" she snarled back, in Japanese this time. Her voice shook again as she took a breath and started rummaging through her purse.

"I was looking for Maa and I lucked out on that little tidbit," Aizawa answered, smirking. His tone became condescending. "What's it matter? If you don't believe me---"

_Idiot._ "And just how did you come across this tidbit? Where did you overhear this? When did you think that you were qualified to go telling us, let alone **_screaming_** it where everyone can hear you like the moron you are?"

"They have an observation room that you can look into—"

"When I want a lesson, Mr. Aizawa, I will ask," Tohma snarled, adjusting his hat. "So you thought by looking into a room that you knew everything? How foolish. And how naïve. They're doctors, not some amateurs in training."

Ryuichi still was crying as he whimpered. "Oh god . . . Shuichi's dead? Shuichi?"

Tohma blinked as he saw Taki Aizawa walking over to Ryuichi and laughing at him. "You know, I never did like Shindou too much, but I have to say, I never thought you'd do him in, Sakuma. Doesn't it hurt that because of you, the person you liked is dead?"

"That's enough!" Mika screamed at him.

Tohma rose from his seat and wiped the dirt off his pants as he saw Taki caressing Ryuichi's face. "Who knows . . . maybe it was the guy next to you that did him in. I heard some interesting rumors about him . . . but I never thought you to be the type that swung that way—"

"Pardon me, but isn't that a bit much to say about someone who actually has talent in the music industry?" Tohma snarled as he pulled Taki off Ryuichi and had pushed him out of the way. "At least neither one of them has to threaten their rivals with hurting those they care about the most to be better in the music industry."

"I don't think he cares about anybody but himself," Hiro agreed, rising slowly. "I'd be surprised if he cared about a cockroach or a fly, much less about Shuichi. It sickens me that he can even attempt to say such things about him."

"Who said Mr. Shindou has talent?" Fujisaki asked, scoffing at the very idea. "If you mean missing every deadline we come up with and disappearing on a whim . . . "

_Damn it, Suguru! Shindou works differently then you. I put you in Bad Luck to find your own style. Yes, I wanted you to surpass me, but I always wanted you to have friends in the band. That's what makes it a success. Working together, not fighting amongst yourselves. _ It was this that made Tohma suddenly realize why Shuichi was so desperate for Hiro to come back the first time he had quit Bad Luck. _They keep each other in check. Without the other, there would be no band._

_Without Noriko and Ryuichi, there would have been no Nittle Grasper._

_For once . . . I think I was wrong in trying to send Shuichi away._

Hiro had smacked Fujisaki upside the head and muttered, "That's beside the point."

"Mr. Fujisaki, if you please," Mr. Sakano spoke firmly. "Shindou at least has a couple of albums, and you all have worked very hard to get this far. Please don't say things like that right now."

"Damn it, why do you all gang up on me?" Fujisaki whined pitifully.

"Because you make it so easy," Hiro laughed, trying to lighten the tension in the room.

"But I saw it!" Taki yelled. "The nurses and doctor were running around like idiots!"

_Oh great, not this again. It thought we already established that no one gives a shit about what Aizawa thinks. How the hell did I put up with him in the first place . . . oh, yeah. Earplugs. _Suddenly Tohma sighed. He was rather annoyed now.

"That doesn't mean he's dead, you idiot," Hiro retorted. "They usually do that when someone flatlines and they can bring them back. Don't you watch any medical shows?"

"Please," Taki scoffed, chuckling. "Shindou was so mangled there was no way he could make it through. There was blood all over the place. He probably bled to death."

"Did you actually hear someone call the time of death for Shuichi Shindou, or did your black heart just hope so you could jump on Mr. Seguchi's ass to be brought back to N-G?" Hiro snorted. "How pathetic."

"This is pitiful," Mika confessed to the reporter in the room next to her. "We have ourselves a bunch of idiots." Then she glared at Aiwaza. "Unless you heard it for yourself, shut up. You might scare the rest of the patients out," she said, seeing two people coming through the door. "We already scared the first bunch . . . but then again, with what happened, anyone would have been scared. I hope there weren't another other reporters."

"You're telling me," Marian said. "The last thing I need is the media to start more scandals."

Fujisaki muttered, "Thank goodness no one else is out here."

The couple who had walked in had became rather frightened at overhearing the conversation taking place and rushed up to the desk, trying to stay in the room as little as possible.

"The faggot singer is dead!" Taki bellowed at Hiro. "I told you your friend would just become a distant memory!" Then he looked to Ryuichi, who had seemed to stop sniffling. "I didn't think that Ryuichi Sakuma and his lover's brother would be the ones to do him in though."

The room became deathly silent as they heard Aizawa's biting words. They were cold, and yet, had spoken the truth. But Ryuichi stood up and got in his face, trying to stop more tears that made their way to his expressive eyes. "It was an accident. Anyone could have made it."

"Anyone who lets your drive, maybe, you queer," Taki snarled. "Let---"

Tohma had had enough. He stormed back over to Taki and had his hand in a fist. Swiftly he had punched Taki in the stomach and then elbowed him on the head, smiling as he did so. Even if he was smiling, his eyes were not. It meant that he was angry.

Marian and Mika clapped in appreciation. "Finally, about damn time he shut up," they both muttered.

"Look," Marian had said, pointing to Hiro. "Hiroshi looks like he's going to join Mr. Seguchi. Which one you think can get more punches in?"

"I opt for my husband," Mika said, laughing heartedly. "He seems a little more anxious then Nr. Nakano at the moment."

_My dear, you are too right, _Tohma thought as he smirked, hearing their exchange on their fight. But he was rather grateful that Hiro was helping beat up Taki as Hiro had delivered a blow to his groin, making the man whimper in pain. _That might shut him up. Well done, Mr. Nakano._

"You should learn to watch your mouth, Aiwaza," Hiro hissed as he punched him again.

Fujisaki had stood up and had brandished his famous scowl at the scene. ". . . and this isn't going so well. Shouldn't we all calm down until we hear from a medical expert on the matter?"

Ignoring Fujisaki's whining, Tohma had glanced at K, who was watching Hiro enjoying himself at using Taki Aiwaza for a punching bag. "K, I think it's time that we cleaned up the garbage around here, don't you agree?"

". . . sadly, the keyboardist has a point. And here I thought he was going to hit him," Marian muttered, disappointed by the short lived fight. "It takes away the excitement that we've been so craving." She smiled at Mika and leaned back against the chair, smirking a minute later.

"That would be too weird. I've had enough of that for one day," Mika replied, shaking her head. "Of the weirdness, I mean. But you don't look so well, Marian."

"I'll be fine," she replied.

Again Tohma caught the fact that her voice was trembling. He glanced back at the two women and sighed. _I was hoping to end this quickly. I really don't want any other problems. If she does pass out, I can't use her to stop the media from flooding into the hospital._

_Then again . . . _

"But are you sure you don't want a punching bag, Mr. Seguchi?" K asked, smiling evilly. "I mean, you do need to vent out your frustrations. As tense as you are right now . . . "

"I'd be more then willing to share him with you, Mr. Seguchi," Hiro added brightly.

"But if you keep playing with him, then you'll catch something from Mr. Aizawa. After all, stupidity seems to follow that man around." He snorted in response as he punched Taki's face once more, seeing a satisfied bruise mark on his left cheek.

"Scared you'll catch it too?" K joked as he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Then I'll have to shower soon enough too. Come on, you reject."

"But Mr. Seguchi, I really did seeeeeee!" He whined softly as K held him up by the collar and had started to proceed to walk out of the room with him, dragging him more or less.

"Tohma dear, you're taking away our prime form of entertainment," Mika pouted. "This is better then those soap operas on television."

"Trust me, you won't want to see the finished product, Ms. Seguchi," Hiro replied, glaring at K and Taki as they had went out of the room.

"I honestly did not think you the type to watch mushy romance soaps, Ms. Seguchi," Mr. Sakano spoke softly, wringing his hands at the scene in front of him.

"Sakano?"

"Yes, Ms. Seguchi?" Mr. Sakano chirped.

Mika's glare was enough to silence him from saying anything else.

"I'm sorry dear," Tohma replied with a smile, "but I'm saving you from his stupidity. I wouldn't want my loving wife to catch it, would I?"

Mika stood up again. "K, stop, please."

The man turned around, stopping in mid-step.

"Mika, what are you doing? We're trying to calm this incident---" Tohma stopped as Mika had came over to him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"It'll be quick, I promise, love," she whispered in his ear. "There's an issue with K I must address." She had walked over to where K was standing and she had slapped Aizawa hard. "At least you gave me some form of entertainment, but in

the meantime . . . " Mika smiled at K. "I'll deal with you later. You don't ever push a lady . . . you should know that. But do remove him. My husband'll turn senile in his age, if Eiri and Tatsuha don't do it first."

"I'm hurt, Mika!" Tohma gasped, playing along with his wife's game, holding a hand over his heart. "You're implying that I'm an old man. A shame on you!"

She smiled sweetly. "No, just you worry too much, Mother Tohma."

"At least get him out of here first," Fujisaki bitched.

As K had dragged a screaming Aizawa away, she had walked back over to her husband and had kissed his cheek. "There there. Now, we should **_really _**find out what's going on..."

-----------

_Oh god . . . what if he was right . . . what if Shu really is dead . . . what if . . . Tatsu and I killed him?_ Ryuichi had taken a hard blow to Taki's words and had been reduced to a near breakdown as he cried, trying to block out the world. He had hugged the pink bear very tightly now, watching K drag off Taki, who still seemed to be screaming.

_Shuichi . . . I'm sorry, Shuichi. I didn't consider your feelings, either. I only thought about Tatsu's. But . . . if I could take it back, do it another way . . ._

_I'd tell Tatsuha how I felt before we even thought about taking you from the interview._

"I don't think he's dead," Mr. Sakano had said again. "If he was, that cute nurse would have come back out to say something."

"Yeah but anything could happen," Ryuichi sniffled, looking at Mr. Sakano. "Shu really has bad luck sometimes."

"Why do you think we named the band Bad Luck?" Hiro asked, walking over to Ryuichi and patted his back. He had reached for a side table next to Ryuichi and had handed him some tissues. "Use these. Just hope he's not dead, or—"

The man had taken them and began to blow his nose as he sat Kumagoro down on Tatsuha's sleeping lap. He smiled now as he saw Tatsuha's eyes open and look at him. But they still were hazy and he groaned, as if trying to wake up from the drug induced sleep. "Tatsuha," Ryuichi said softly. "You awake?"

The other man leaning his head toward Ryuichi's voice and closing his eyes as he held Kumagoro told him no. But Ryuichi had caressed his face, to comfort himself for a moment before moving Tatsuha back into a comfortable position.

-----

Marian had stood up and stared at them all. "If you all would calm the hell down, we could find out. The tension in this room is enough to strangle someone."

"You weren't even supposed to get this far! Why didn't Tohma get rid of you when he had the chance?" Fujisaki muttered. "Despite that, you're still a reporter!"

_State the obvious, cousin, _Tohma thought softly. _You're just as much of a pain in the ass today. One would think you actually care about Shindou-san. But still---_ He noticed that she stood up and had shook still, her hand still fumbling for something in her purse. He could not let her see he cared about her as a friend.

After all the years that Eiri saw her in New York, he had always treated her with scorn. She was not supposed to know about Eiri's past, and yet . . . Tohma never understood why Eiri told _her_ out of all the people that had found out about it. _Maybe she did stumble upon it . . . but . . . _

"I may be, but I'm not immoral, you jackass," she muttered, turning to Fujisaki and glaring at him as she pulled her cellphone out of her purse. She sighed as she looked at it and Tohma smirked.

"Your use of words is remarkable Marian," Tohma quipped. "Despite the fact that we have never agreed, you do have a point."

"Yeah well, what must I say? Half of you are cigarette fiends," she pointed out, indicating Hiro and Tohma on occasion, when he was stressed. "Why don't you go get a fix? Might calm your heads."

"Or might give you a chance to call your editor or "get the scoop", as so they say," Fujisaki hissed at her. "Why is it that reporters have to be so nosy in the first place?"

_You're treading too far, Suguru. When you tread in dangerous water, one may drown. But I know she won't go reporting to her editor. She hates her editor and her boss as much as Nakano and I like each other. _

Marian pretended to ignore the comment as she walked past Fujisaki and had turned around. In one swift motion she had grabbed her cellphone and had punched Fujisaki in the face, with the phone in her hand. "God, I hate when people think I'm like Lois Lane," she muttered as she stormed out of the waiting room and looked at the phone, her hand back in her purse. "Shit, my phone's busted!"

_Thank god, _Tohma thought as he clapped softly. _I thought I was going to hit the little shit myself. It's a cold day in hell. We actually agreed that Suguru is a pain in the ass._

"ASSAULT!" he heard Fujisaki scream as he fell to the ground, cradling his now busted lip. "You stupid bitch!"

"Hey, Marian!" K shouted, watching her walk off. "Thanks!"

"Damn, she beat me to it," Hiro said, watching Fujisaki rising without the help of his hands. "Looks like she punched him hard though."

"I think she beat all of us to it," K agreed.

"BEAT YOU ALL TO IT!" Fujisaki raged. "What the hell kind of people am I with in the first place! You know that she's going outside to call her editor and to tell about Mr. Shindou, or about Mr. Yuki. And before you know it, the press will be storming in here!"

"Suguru," Tohma warned him. "She isn't going to call her editor. She doesn't like him very much. Miss. Tamika—"

"This is insane," they heard the voice of the nurse come to them. " . . . and to think you are all professionals. You should do as the woman says and just get

some air."

"What is the progress of Mr. Shindou? How is the surgery progressing?" Tohma had asked the very question that everyone around him was thinking when they saw Arlena walking back into the waiting room.

The air tensed even more as they waited for her to answer. He thought he saw Arlena's eyes glance to each person, feeling apprehensive herself before answering Tohma's question.

"Well . . . there were complications," she began before she was interrupted by Tohma once more.

"Complications?"

"His spleen ruptured. That's where most of the access blood in the body is stored. Because of this, his chest cavity started to fill with blood, which started to fill his punctured lung. They were able to remove it in time and clear his lungs, but not before he flatlined. He's in stable condition and doing well now though."

_Thank goodness. I won't have to hear Eiri scream anymore. We can just take him to Shindou-san and then they can both start to heal from the ordeal._

"They also had to realign his broken arm and put a pin in it for it to heal properly. Considering the extent of his injuries, it's a wonder he survived at all. He's certainly a fighter."

"That's Shu for you, fighting till the end," Hiro said, smiling now that he was going to be alright.

"Thank goodness," Ryuichi's voice said as he sniffled once more, crying in joy this time. Tohma groaned.

"Miss, you can't use the cellphone in the hospital," Arlena had called out towards the door.

Tohma's head whipped around to see a pale Marian heading back into the door. He saw a goofy smile plastered on her face as she shook her head. "I can't anyway. It kinda got broken when I was punching the kid."

"Excuse me?" Arlena asked, glancing at Fujisaki, who was rubbing his split lip.

"Well at least you can't go leaking out anything," Fujisaki muttered.

"Yeah, but I was checking text messages from my boyfriend since the cell kept going off in my pocket. I wonder how I'm going to explain this," Marian muttered.

". . . you got worked up over text messages, Fujisaki?" K had looked at him and laughed heartily, now able to at the fact that Shuichi was alright. "And here you thought---"

"Well reporters do that!" Fujisaki bellowed.

"She's a family friend, Suguru," Mika calmly stated. "She wouldn't do something like that to Eiri--"

"What is it with Eiri Yuki that you all got a bug up your ass about?" Fujisaki screamed.

Tohma's eyes bored into Fujisaki as he took a deep breath. "Suguru. Stop," he warned him. "Now's not the time—"

"You all have to be so damn sensitive!" Fujisaki continued. "**_Especially you, Tohma._** Who cares! Isn't it his fault in a way that this even happened? If they didn't get the wrong idea about the relationship . . . You think this would happened?"

Hiro had walked back up to Fujisaki and whapped him harder upside his head.

"How dare you even think of saying such a thing here, Suguru," Tohma hissed.

He was satisfied as he saw Fujisaki's eyes blink in fear. "Did you even hear about Shindou, with your frantic yelling, Mr. Fujisaki? The nurse said he was alright. I was hoping that you would calm down about it, and instead you just yell about Eiri like you have some goddamn right to."

He was satisfied as he saw Fujisaki's eyes blink in fear. He had crossed over the line. Tohma would rightfully put him back in his place. "Did you even hear about Shindou, with your frantic yelling, Mr. Fujisaki? The nurse said he was alright. I was hoping that you would calm down about it, and instead you just yell about Eiri like you have some goddamn right to."

"I was hoping he'd stop yelling to," Marian confessed, rubbing her head.

"God damn it, lady, get out of my ass, will you?" He saw Fujisaki storm over to her and had proceeded to try to hit her. However, K had been able to get there in time and restrain Fujisaki from making a punch at her.

"Why would you think of hitting a lady, Suguru?" Tohma went on. "It's not as if she was doing anything to you that you didn't deserve."

"If this keeps going on, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Arlena had interjected. "You all are tense. I think perhaps you should leave, if to just save yourselves the trouble of being thrown out of this place." She had shook her head again as she turned away. "I do hope this disturbance will be sorted out by then." With that she had walked off and down the hallway.

Mika had stood back up and walked over to Tohma. " . . . do you think we should go get some air, and some food? I think we're going to drive the nurses crazy. Besides, they wouldn't want us to not take care of ourselves. Eiri and Shuichi, I mean."

"As much as I would love to act on that idea, Mika, I'm going to stay here." He glanced at his wife. "After all, someone needs to tend to Shindou-san's medical forms now that Eiri is incapable, remember? Although," the President said as an afterthought, "if you are going to get something, then I guess you can get me some coffee, Mika."

Mika nodded. "Alright. That's feasible."

"It might help the tension though," K agreed. "Though, I wonder who actually has the money on them. They took my wallet, damn bastards . . . "

Ryuichi had held up something. It glittered in the light and had caught Tohma's attention. _Eiri's credit card. Let me guess . . . Tatsuha had decided to raid his beer supply again and forgot to give it back._

It was Mika who had spoke what Tohma was thinking.

"...You stole it again, Tatsuha?" Mika muttered at her brother's sleeping form. "He's really going to kill you when this is over...not as badly as he would have if he died, but . . . still." Then she turned to Ryuichi. "Give me the card. I'll take the blame."

"As much as I think I should take—"

"Give me the damn card, or I'll shove it surgetically up your ass, Ryuichi," Mika hissed. "You already caused enough trouble. You don't need to ruin my brother's credit, as well."

He meekly handed the card over as Tohma chuckled. "You don't need to be so harsh, Mika."

"I'm just tense," Mika muttered as she pushed some of her brown hair out of her eyes.

"Sakano, I suggest you take Mr. Nakano and Mr. Fujisaki with you to not cause anymore...incidents. We don't need another episode of what's happened," Tohma said, glaring at Fujisaki. "You disappointed me, cousin. I hope we do talk later so you can tell me of your 'theory' about Eiri Yuki in detail."

"I do hope you're going your own seperate way, Ms. Lane," Fujisaki remarked.

"Would suit you, but no. I don't rat out others on a whim, or for money. If I did, I don't think I'd have friends now would I?"

"She's talking to someone who doesn't have any friends because his work takes over his life," K whispered.

"Agreed," Hiro said.

"I suggest you get going, Mr. Sakano. My patience has worn rather . . . thin within the last few minutes. Suguru, I do hope I can catch up to you later." Tohma smiled vindictively as he chuckled.

Fujisaki shivered as he brushed past everyone, angrily going out the door.

Sakano and K walked out after him, muttering about how they were going to have to gag the media if there were reporters in the hospital.

"Hey, Ryuichi," Mika asked. "When they reset Tatsuha's nose . . . did they give him morphine?"

This brought Ryuichi out of his silent moment as he nodded to Mika. "I don't think he'll be up anytime soon, though. It seems to have made him high."

"If we're going to get everyone something to eat, I guess we should get something for Tatsuha when he wakes up. I don't think they'll let Mr. Yuki or Shuichi have anything. Shuichi would be too worked up to keep anything down."

Mika nodded. "I think we should let Ryuichi and Tatsuha go on back—"

"No," Tohma said.

_I'm not letting them get out of this so easily. Eiri wouldn't either. He'd make Tatsuha pay for the punishment he so deserves. I want them to really learn their lesson, if we are going to drop the charges on them. I still can't believe Eiri said that, though._

_Perhaps . . . _

"No? They would only cause trouble, Tohma!" Mika argued.

"They need to learn their lesson about this. If I'm going to honor Eiri's wish on dropping charges for vehicular homicide, or an attempt to, then they will stay in this hospital and wait like the rest of us are. Eiri would have a fit if they were not here to try to undo the wrongs that they have caused this night." Tohma had glanced at Ryuichi and nodded. "You two did agree to that, did you not?"

"Well . . . yes," Ryuichi had spoke up.

"Then you will honor it." Tohma glanced over to Hiro, Marian and Mika. "Mika, I know you want to stay here with your brothers, but you do forget that the baby is at home with the babysitter. She must be worried by now."

A gasp escaped Mika's mouth. "Oh! I forgot about that! I never called her to tell her how long we would be!" She had scrambled madly in her purse for the phone.

"Mika, it's alright. You can take the car, since I'm staying here. I think that Mr. Nakano will too, since he has not departed with the others. I don't know about Miss. Tamika—" His voice stopped as he heard something thud to the floor. He saw that it was Marian's phone. A moment later, her body was starting to fall forward.

Hiro had caught her, but Tohma saw that her eyes were closed. She had passed out cold. He had seen something else in her hand, held loosely. Her purse did fall to the ground, and landed on the bottom, amazingly enough. "It seems that we did not get Mr. Aizawa out fast enough."

"What, is she a drug user?" Hiro asked, glaring at the object in her hand. It happened to a syringe full of tiny liquid.

"No, diabetic," Mika said softly. "I certainly hope she doesn't go into diabetic shock. That would be really bad." She had moved over to where Hiro had Marian in his arms and nodded to him. "Pick her up gently and let's go back over to where those nurses are. She should be fine after she gets her medicine."

The two of them walked with her form over to the station. This left only Tohma and Ryuichi there, with a sleeping Tatsuha in the chair.

"You know, Ryuichi," Tohma started, "I hoped that something like this would never have happened."

"I know, Tohma," Ryuichi whispered as he looked at him. "I'm really sorry." He had hugged himself in the chair, unable to hug Kumagoro as Tatsuha was sleeping with it. "At least Shuichi's alright. I'll be able to sing with him again, when he recovers."

_But how long will that be?_ Tohma asked himself. _It will take at least a few weeks for Shuichi to even be alright physically. Emotionally, we still do not know how he fares. None of us are able to find out that answer. We'll have to find out in the morning . . . when Eiri awakens off that sedative that was given to him._

_Eiri . . . for once . . . I can't help you._

_For once . . . you have to find the answers for yourself. But I'm sure you'll do just fine without me._

As Tohma saw Ryuichi nodding off in the chair next to him, Tohma knew that Eiri would find out the rest of the problems that would be wrong with Shuichi. He also had a feeling that he never should have meddled in the relationship in the first place, but had pushed that thought aside as his eyes closed and sleep took over his stress filled mind.


	14. A Confession of Love

Chapter Thirteen

A Confession of Love

This is the LAST CHAPTER to this part of the story. The reason for this is because if I keep it one long document, it will become redundant. So the sequel will be in the works after this chapter. Thank you for all your reviews and wonderful praise for this story. I hope you'll join the rest of them on the sequel story, which picks up right where we left off, with Eiri and Shuichi going home.

**_So for those who wondered:_** I'm going to cover several things in my sequel, "_Requiem of Ice and Love_". One will be the recording of Bad Luck's new album. I will also go into Shuichi's recovery process and also about how life will be for them. Don't worry, you'll see all your favorite members of the band, but we want Shuichi and Eiri to start healing, right? And, we might see more of our bitchy reporter who loves to take her temper out on Fujisaki.

This last chapter was another favorite of mine to write and once again, **AngelofLight** saved the day with all her medical stuff that she knows as well as Noramary McCabe. I needed more medical stuff so that I knew what Shuichi was hooked up to and everything else. She is also my beta for the Gravitation stories and so is my plotbunny in evil.

I also used Shining Collection again, but I only used like three lines from it for Eiri. Shining Collection belongs to Iceman, but it's my absolute favorite song.

Sadly, I don't own Gravitation, but I finally own Eiri's soul . . . or rather close to it. I think he would really hate me, since I torture him so.

**Summary so far:** Shuichi Shindou had been rushed to the hospital to be treated for medical injuries in a car accident. While being rushed there, his friends, and his lover, Eiri Yuki, had learned that the rock star could not breathe on his own. After Tohma Seguchi had allowed the doctors to operate on Shuichi, tension filled the air.

Taki Aizawa had seen Shuichi's surgery and did nothing to help the tension as he screamed that the rock star was dead. The tension eased a bit as Taki was thrown out of the waiting room, but Marian and Fujisaki fought, resulting in Fujisaki's busted lip. After Fujisaki, K and Sakano leave, Marian goes into diabetic shock and is admitted into the hospital.

As the next morning approaches for our cast, what will each of them do about their tension? And what will become of Eiri Yuki, who has completely fallen apart at the seams? Will he be able to see Shuichi at all or will he still be tormented with his "death" at his own hands?

Reviews will be answered in PM format.

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When he awoke the next morning, Eiri had found the stupid IV back in his arm. It was almost in the same spot, but he did not bother to move. He had lain on the bed, just staring at the ceiling. Nothing mattered anymore, it seemed. Eiri could not tell the difference in the hullications he was seeing and the actual reality that he was being toyed around with.

He also hated the fact that he felt alone.

Yet . . . something tugged at his memory. Something he should have remembered, because it was significantly important. He sat up, glancing around and holding a hand to his head. It pounded horribly. _Migranes again, I think. That always happens after . . . _

Eiri sighed as he turned over and looked at the door from where he lay in the bed. There was no point in walking out now. He could not even begin to try to face the doctors. _Just where the hell am I anyway?_ He asked himself._ No one better have committed me. _

The door opened, as if on cue and it revealed the nurse that he saw earlier in his hospital stay. He could not recall her name, but he knew she had told him some time ago. She had left the door open and saw Ryuichi entering into the room. He had kept his distance as the nurse had stepped beside Eiri's bed and sat in the seat near it. "Are you alright now, Mr. Uesugi?"

"Where am I?" It was the first question he could think of.

"You're back in the room you were in a day ago, Mr. Uesugi," she informed him. "We had to sedate you because you were too distraught to do anything. You kept screaming. Your friends and relatives were rather worried about your condition."

_Now I remember . . . Shuichi . . . I had killed him. _It hung in his head as he glanced to Ryuichi, who had been standing there with a sad look in his eyes. _I saw his blood on my hands. It's still there._ As if he had to remind himself, his eyes blurred. He still was not thinking clearly as he gazed down and saw specks of blood, just as he did earlier in his hysteria. It was slowly returning and Eiri did not know how much more he could take. Despair was starting to eat away at him.

"You've been out a whole day and everyone is really worried . . . " he heard Ryuichi through his hazy vision. "You broke Tatsu's nose. They had to give him morphine, and he was almost as drugged up as you were."

_That's right, I kind of punched him. I didn't realize that I had broken his nose. But it serves him right, after all. None of us would be here if those two idiots hadn't taken Shuichi away from me._ Eiri had sighed as he pushed the blanket off him, a defeated look on his face. "I'd be more worried about Shuichi, but he kind of died," he murmured. "And to think, I couldn't protect him from you two. It's the reason I keep seeing his blood all over my hands. Even in my nightmares."

Eiri's eyes met with Arlena's, knowing that she was determining just how much sanity the young novelist had left in his mind. He had to admit, there was not much left as he heard her ask, "Is that what you were seeing?"

"...of course that's what it was," Eiri snapped as he wrung his hands together. He could have sworn he _felt_ the blood oozing in between his fingers. They felt sticky as he looked at the blankets, seeing that they were still white and sickening to behold. _White is supposed to be calming? It reminds me of dying._

"My hands . . . I killed Shuichi," he whispered.

"I don't think we had a chance to tell you---" She was cut off as he glanced over to Ryuichi.

"What have you to say about this, Sakuma? Well!" Eiri had taken a deep breath as he sat up more in his bed. "What have you to say about the behavior that you and my foolish brother have done?"

"Well he did kind of die for a second—" Ryuichi began, and shrank back at Eiri's facial expression. He saw Ryuichi shake and he just let the words ring in his head.

"_**He kind of died for a second."**_

Eiri's eyes went wide with shock. He did not know what else to think. Ryuichi was playing around with him, it seemed, not giving him the answers he wanted. He wanted to know how he was, and he wanted to know now.

"He kind of died! KIND OF DIED! There is no kind of. You either do or you don't!" He had jumped out of bed as Arlena had grabbed his arm and was very firmly trying to push him back in. Eiri had allowed her to, since he let the words sink in. _He's dead. Shuichi's—_

"But he's alive!" Ryuichi screamed at him, tears running down his face. "Listen to me for one minute, Eiri, before you go screaming at me! Don't you think I've known the damage I've caused by toying around with you two? The least you could do is hear me out." He had held Kumagoro in his hand and had raised it to hug him tightly.

_This is sickening. He thinks I should give him pity after all the pain he's caused me?_ Yet Eiri had sighed, giving in and looking at him. "Then don't toy around the answer and tell me, Ryuichi."

"Shuichi's out of surgery and he's alright, from what we heard. The doctors said he was sleeping, though, because of the pain medication they were giving him. But you missed Tohma punching that Aizawa guy's lights out!"

Eiri's eyes piereced Ryuichi's. "Aizawa? What was that—"

"I dunno. I didn't pay attention to that," Ryuichi confessed.

_Of course not, idiot, _Eiri thought, irritated. _That would have been useful, wouldn't it?_

"But you said he was alright, right? That he's alive?"

"Yeah!" Ryuichi smiled as he rubbed the back of his head with a hand, already over his crying spell. "He's alive and out of surgery! We all thought he was dead too cause that Aizawa guy came running through the halls screaming, "Shindou's dead! Shindou's dead!" Ryuichi had proceeded to run around like Taki had down the waiting room hallway.

Arlena giggled, covering her hand with her mouth. Eiri sighed softly. He had to endure this in order to get the whole story. "And then?"

"He said something like he was lost and walked into an observation room or whatever and saw Shuichi flat line, but they got him right back!" Ryuichi nodded, pausing as if thinking on if he should have said that or not. Then, "But Hiro and Tohma beat the hell out of him because he was being mean to me and saying bad things about Shuichi."

_Nakano and . . . Tohma? I thought he didn't like the brat,_ Eiri thought as he saw Arlena's face turn pale at hearing the rest of Ryuichi's explanation. _I guess even Tohma is starting to get used to that brat. That'll make things easier. _

Eiri smiled briefly before he glanced back to Ryuichi. "Have you seen Shuichi yet?"

"No one has been allowed to see him. We're trying to make sure he is in stable condition before we allow visitors," Arlena answered.

Eiri looked at her once more. "But you would let me see him, wouldn't you?"

"If the doctors think that he can--"

"He's afraid," Eiri confessed, glancing at the floor. He wrung his hands in defeat as he sighed brokenly. Even now, Shuichi's dead form haunted him. He still felt the blood, even if Shuichi was alive. He did not know for himself. "He'll want me there when he wakes, and then he won't be so afraid anymore."

_But is it Shuichi who needs the comfort, or I who needs his arms? His touch? His laughter to try to penetrate through the ice in my heart? Am I just saying Shuichi's afraid, or am I lying and I'm the one who's really afraid too?_

_No,_ he told himself. _I am afraid. But I know he's afraid too._

"Yeah, you have to let him see Shuichi! Eiri's his knight in shining armor!"

The sudden realization of this made Eiri laugh softly. "I'm not some prince in a fairy tale, Ryuichi. I'd be the cold hearted prince who kills every knight that came for his lady."

"Don't go saying that!" Ryuichi pouted. "Shuichi thinks you are! Isn't that what matters, Eiri? And is that why you called it "Shining Collection" in the first place? That song . . . I mean. The one at the Toyko Bay Music Festival."

"You're lucky I'm in a better mood," Eiri said. "I don't think you should be calling me by my first name, even if Seguchi does."

"I'll go on and ask the doctors if he will be allowed any visitors, Mr. Uesugi," Arlena cut in. "I don't think there would be too much of a problem as long as someone was with you. You have to still stay in the---"

"Look, either way, I'd do as you asked, and I'd be more inclined to do it if you let me see Shu," Eiri responded as he looked at her. Pain filled his eyes as he thought of being so close to Shuichi, but still so far apart. "But just let me see him. Then I'll do whatever you want."

She stared at him hard. Eiri guessed the woman thought he had no stability left in his mind.

"Please." He sounded as if he was begging her. "Just let me see Shuichi."

After a moment she nodded. "I'll go see what I can do." Then Arlena walked out of the room.

Eiri sighed as he looked at the floor, folding his hands in his lap. He did not notice Ryuichi moving closer to him, staying just out of arms length of him._ Would this have happened to you, if I told you the truth long ago, Shu? I end up hurting you more, every time I hide something from you. How can you keep forgiving me?_

_How can you come back to me when I still hide from who I really want to be?_

"Eiri?" Ryuichi asked. "You alright?"

Golden eyes moved over to Ryuichi and sadness reflected in them at the irony of his thoughts. "Would this have ever happened if I had---had just told that brat?"

He would never forget the look of shock that was on Ryuichi Sakuma's face as he sat down on the edge of the bed. _Was I really that cold toward him? Was it that hard for everyone around me to see how I felt about him? _

"Honestly? It probably wouldn't have. . . . but this was Tatsuha's idea and I played along with him. It makes both of us just as bad that this happened to Shuichi, if not any worse then what you did to him. We had convinced ourselves that this was for Shuichi's own good because you treated him horribly all the time. But in all actuality . . ." He saw Ryuichi look away and take a breath, staring at the floor. "We never thought about his feelings."

"You said this was for his own good, right Sakuma?" Eiri asked, growing angry again. "You have him scared shitless of anything that moves now, Ryuichi. And what was with Tatsuha kissing him on national television?" He trembled just remembering that scene. It made him so angry inside, how his brother held his lover so close, as if he could replace Eiri.

He would not let that happen.

He _could not_ let that happen.

"I don't know, honestly. I didn't see that coming. But Tatsuha wasn't supposed to do that. We didn't even know where we were going with Shuichi. I figured that Tatsuha was heading back to Kyoto, but . . . we never exactly made it that far." He looked back up and saw Eiri's eyes dancing between anger and jealously. "Tatsuha wanted him, Eiri. But . . . I heard Shuichi. He said that what Tatsuha wanted was right in front of him."

Eiri just looked at him in shock. "You . . . Why? You're an idiot, like that brat is. What good would you do my brother?" He immediately regretted saying that as he saw Ryuichi's eyes turn away from Eiri. "Then again---"

Ryuichi looked hurt as he heard Eiri's words, but continued. "Well, I know Tatsuha thinks of me as a god like figure, but . . . he said when he kissed Shuichi, it felt wrong. So I think when this happened, he got a kick in the ass. And so did you, Mr. Yuki. Your cold hearted self melted at the sight of your lover crumbling." Eiri saw Ryuichi smirk as he pushed some hair away from his eyes. "Honestly, that was my plan all along. I was just trying to spend time with Tatsuha. But if Shuichi would be the one to ease his lonely heart, I was willing to do it."

_Even this idiot doesn't hide how he feels. How many of them am I going to hear from today? It's like . . . it's like I'm in one of my novels. That's a scary thought . . . I really need a novel with a happy ending before my life goes to shit in a haybasket._

"What the hell did you think? That he would willingly go along with this plan, Sakuma? Did you think that Shuichi would even think about Tatsuha when he tried---" He had reached a hand out to go grab him but he saw something behind him. Something bright.

A familiar head of pink hair that fluffed up as he lifted his head.

Eiri saw Shuichi's pale form standing behind him, his eyes glassy as he held out his hand. His lover trembled as a small gasp escaped his lips. His transparent hand went through Ryuichi's back and Eiri could almost touch it if Ryuichi was not in the way. "Shuichi . . ." he called, reaching out for that hand. He needed to touch it, to pull him close.

Desperation ate at Eiri Yuki's tormented soul.

From out of nowhere, Eiri heard words coming from Shuichi's mouth. They sounded whispery as he did, but he knew that it was from that damnable song that he wrote especially for him.

"_A cheap touch whose reaction is to look for secrets . . . you want to see them even if they're coldly obscene . . _. . "

_My past. Why does he bring it up now! What does he know? He only knows what I told him! _The hand reached out harder, trying to get to him. He had bumped into Ryuichi, making the other worried.

"Eiri?" Ryuichi asked shakily. "Eiri, are you ok? Are you having another—"

He looked at Ryuichi still, but looked over him. His hand was almost close to the figure he saw in his mind, whispering the lyrics. "Shu," he breathed, his voice in pain. "Did you know? Did you, all along?"

More words came. And he realized that Shuichi had went to the last stanza of the song. The tears returned, threatening to spill at the corners of his eyes. The little tart knew what he was trying to tell him. Yet . . .

He wanted to tell him those words himself. Those three words he never was able to say.

_"Please don't cryin' . . . imitating loneliness . . . cutting into space with entwined regret . . ."_

Eiri's huge tan hand finally touched Shuichi's pale, transparent hand. He had touched his hand for only a moment before the figure began to disappear, going through the door and into the hallway.

"Shuichi!" he called, jumping out of bed. He ripped the IV out, hope now flooding his body. He **_had_** to get to Shuichi. It was the only need that was in his mind as he forgot that he was only in the hospital gown. He had forgotten as he had tore out of the room, the back of it left wide open, with only a string to hold the actual gown in the back.

Shuichi was calling him. Wanting him. Needing him.

And Eiri would be the first thing he saw when he awakened, because his lover wished it so.

------------

Ryuichi could only stare at Eiri as he ran out of the room, blinking in disbelief. _And here I thought he was actually getting over the events that had happened,_ he thought as he rose from the bed, turning to where the blonde man was running. He shook his head and laughed as he knew Eiri probably did not realize that from the behind, he was exposed to all of the hospital patients and staff.

Then he calmed himself. _Alright, there isn't any time to waste, Ryuichi. You need to go after Eiri before he loses his mind again._ He rose from the bed frantically, trying to grab Kumagoro before he ran out of the room. He let the bear flail behind him as he held him by one of his paws, running past Arlena who was coming back into the room.

"Mr. Sakuma!" she exclaimed. "What in the world is going on now?"

But Ryuichi kept running and heard the whistles of many of the patients who had been watching, including the ones from Tatsuha, Mika, Tohma and Hiro. He had blushed as he ran after Eiri, hearing some of the comments that were made.

"If only the media could see this," he heard the blonde nurse say. "I never thought I'd see Eiri Yuki running through a hospital like that, over all things. Wasn't he—"

"Shit, if I could, I'd try for a piece of that ass," another woman ogled. She had a high pitched voice. "It looks like he works out a lot to keep **_that_** body of his in shape!"

"Look at the guy chasing after him! I knew something was up with him!"

He panted as he brushed past Tatsuha, Mika, Tohma and Hiro. The four of them were smirking at Ryuichi as he ran after the novelist, with Tatsuha managing to laugh at the sight. "I'd be running with you, Ryu, if I still didn't feel so tipsy. Catch some of that for me, will ya?"

_You're still high . . . don't you realize that's your own brother!_ Ryuichi thought as he heard another pair of footsteps running behind him.

"Mr. Uesugi! Come back!" Arlena screamed after him.

--------------

Eiri, meanwhile, had managed to block out all the comments about his ass that the others were enjoying the sight of. He just was concentrated on one thing, and that one thing was fading fast in front of him. "Can't you wait up, Shuichi?" he muttered as he took a breath. He really was exhausted from running so far.

Perhaps being emotional took a lot more out of someone then he realized.

Then again, there was no time to ponder this thought now.

He stopped as he saw the transparent figure coming to a stop and had floated to the left, into an open doorway. It was when he took another breath that Eiri felt a draft and had cursed himself. "Goddamn it," he muttered as he ran after the form that was floating away from him. "Shuichi, you could have waited till my ass was covered or I had a jacket, you damn---" He stopped as he realized that the form had turned and had went into an open room. And there he stopped, seeing the sight in front of him.

There, finally in front of him, was Shuichi Shindou, lying in a hospital bed. The first thing that Eiri noticed was the tube that was down his throat and a weird accordion like glass machine on the right side of the bed. This was what the tube was hooked up to as he saw that there was also a strap of the same thing attached to his head so it would not go anywhere. EIri's eyes took that in first and he took a moment to catch his breath.

He noticed some sort of television on the wall and then shook his head, seeing that it was a heart rate monitor. This would show Shuichi's heart rate, how much he was breathing at and the heart rhythm. It also read his blood pressure. He noticed that it was stable for the moment and breathed in relief as he looked around the rest of the things that were around Shuichi and his bedside.

"Shu . . . i . . . chi . . ." Eiri said softly as he wrapped the stupid hospital gown around him trying to stop the showing of his ass. He saw a spare folded up sheet and had used that to tie around his waist for a moment. Then, gazing back at his form, he stumbled over to him. He noticed that there was a clip on his right hand on his index finger. He did not know what that was for, and he did not care. All he saw was that Shuichi still had a chest tube in his throat and that there was an IV in his arm.

There were three bags. Eiri did not know what they were for, but he never saw Shuichi look so pitiful, or struggle to live. Not even after he was raped by Taki Aizawa did he look this bad. He just was pale and had collapsed after trying to stop Eiri from walking out on him and being the hell out of Aizawa.

_I can't believe this . . ._ Eiri thought as he gazed at Shuichi's form lying in the bed. _Shu seemed . . . so infallible . . . to this sort of thing. And now . . . watching him . . . _

_I almost lost him._

_I almost lost the one thing I care about the most._

Eiri had fell to his knees and had taken one of the unconscious boy's hands, cradling it gently in his own. The tears shed themselves in torrents as the damn that was holding his last ounce of self reservation finally broke. "Shuichi . . . Shu . . . It's Eiri. If you can hear me, wake up, damn it. You're making me worried."

Out of nowhere he had heard a loud beeping noise. Eiri looked up, frightened as he looked at the heart monitor. Because he was still not seeing things clearly, he had went into another daze, haunted by another vision.

He saw the line for the heart rhythm flatline.

"Shuichi?" He had looked up and saw the machine reading at a flat line and had gasped. "God damn it, Shuichi!" Eiri brokenly screamed as he felt more tears rushing down. His eyes could not look away from the flat line that his mind forced him to see.

Nor could he pry his hands off the lifeless hand he now held.

-------------

Ryuichi ran after Eiri and had stopped as the man had ran into a room that was open on the left hand side. The man sighed in relief as he had stopped at the doorway, panting for breath. Eiri could run, even when he was not as his best, Ryuichi had decided.

But he would not do this again any time soon. He instead had watched the man staring at the figure in the bed. But that was broken as he heard a cry from him.

"God damn it, Shuichi!"

Ryuichi walked out of the way to try to comfort Eiri but had been pushed aside by Arlena, who was frantic. "Mr. Uesugi!"

Eiri's eyes turned to the heart rate monitor, which was reading that Shuichi's pulse rhythm was fine and synchronized with everything else on there. But Ryuichi had sensed something else. He felt a sense of dread for a moment at the sound of his scream. _Please, don't tell me he still thinks Shuichi's dead . . . _

_Let his torment be over . . . I can't bear to watch him anymore like this._

"Mr. Uesugi!" Arlena said, shaking him softly. "Calm down! He's not flat lining!

The blonde man that knelt brokenly on the floor looked up at her. Ryuichi could tell that he was clinging onto those words. At that, Ryuichi had held a hand over his mouth. _He could be breaking out of that now! If he does . . . then this will be a happy ending._

"What . . . what do you mean?" Eiri asked.

"That was the ventilation machine!" Arlena said with excitement as she pointed to the glass accordion like machine. "Trust me, it's a good thing."

Ryuichi could see him trying to understand as he glanced to Arlena and nodded. " . . . oh . . . " Then he gazed at Shuichi's face and Ryuichi smiled, if in the throes of another crying spell. "I guess I take it I should start writing more happy endings to those sappy novels."

Ryuichi had walked over to Arlena and he saw her smiling at the scene. _Why is that good? I thought beeping meant that it was a bad thing. So Shu isn't going to die? I hope he doesn't. I want a happy ending._ Hugging Kumagoro to him, he bit his lip and let the tears leak from his eyes. "But why is that a good thing? That machine just went BEEEEEEEEEEEP! And I didn't do it this time! It just—"

Her head turned to Ryuichi and he stopped talking as she had a full blown grin on her face. "No you didn't do it, Mr. Sakuma. Mr. Uesugi did."

Now he was confused. "Eiri, just what did you---"

"I don't know, but whatever it was, Mr. Shindou was responding to him. He was trying to breathe on his own, against the machine."

-------

Mika rose from her seat yet again, looking frazzled as ever. Even though it was quite funny to hear the comments about her brother and being ogled over, she knew that he had to have seen another painful thing in order for him to run so fast and the way he did. "Tohma, we should go see what the problem is," she said.

But her husband was already up and had adjusted his black tophat on his head. "I'm already on that road, Mika. Are you two coming?" he asked, looking at Tatsuha and Hiro.

"Let Tatsuha go along with you, Tohma," Mika replied. "Mr. Nakano, why don't you go see how Miss. Tamika is doing for us?" She wanted to be able to take care of the problem on her own, without Hiro interfering. The woman also did not want him to see Shuichi if he had died. _It would probably be the reason Eiri is flipping out so much right now,_ she thought. _I don't think Mr. Nakano would be as strong as he is if he saw it through Eiri that his best friend had died after surgery._

Hiro nodded softly. "I'll meet you in there."

"Thank you, Mr. Nakano."

She was relieved to see her husband and younger brother moving toward the direction that Eiri and Ryuichi had been running to and that Hiro had moved to the opposite end of the room. "That takes care of that," Mika muttered as she grabbed her purse and hurried to follow them.

----

Eiri looked back down at Shuichi, hearing the other two and smiled a bit as he looked to Shuichi's sleeping form. "Come on, you damn brat. If you can deal with me, then something like this shouldn't do you in." He had rested his head against Shuichi's body lightly, knowing that the blanket would be wet soon enough. "I don't think---I couldn't go back to that. Living in that house alone. Even if I don't treat you like I care ---I waited. I wanted. I put up with you haunting me, singing those damn lyrics while you had been in surgery . . . plaguing my nightmares. . . "

The man took a breath before he continued, sobs coming from his chest. He hated to cry. He hated it more right now. But the things he wanted to say had to be said to Shuichi.

He had hid them from far too long.

"The least you can do was wake up and give me that goofy smile, say "Yuki!" one more time . . . even if you don't pretend you're alright. Damn it, Shuichi . . . " His arm was resting under his head as he cried.

"I couldn't tell you, because I thought you knew I cared. But I ---I love you, Shu. Come back . . . please. Let me see you one more time."

He heard Ryuichi sobbing hard in the background and he would have seen Arlena with a hand over her mouth, tearing up as well if he had turned around.

He felt something squeezing his hand and hope flooded him again. _He's responding! Shuichi . . . does this mean . . . does this mean that you forgive me? That you still . . . love me?_

His resolve grew deeper. He _had_ to say those words that he had hid. Eiri owed it to Shuichi. He knew that those words would bring him out of the sleep that could make him suffer into a coma. Without his confession . . . without his love . . .

Shuichi might not ever wake up.

And Eiri's world would become pitched in blackness once again.

"Shuichi." He had lifted his head and squeezed it back as he put a hand to his face, stroking his cheek. "It's . . . not that I didn't want to tell you . . . I still . . . somewhere . . . had Kitazawa in my head. And . . . I can't live a lie like that anymore. I won't.

"If I had just been honest with myself. . . .had said before . . . the things I wanted to tell you, needed to tell you . . . maybe . . . the whole thing with Tohma, Ryuichi . . . Tatsuha . . . none of this would have happened to you."

He had to take a breath. The crying was doing him in. Yet the darkness that had been clouding his heart and his mind was being lifted as Eiri spoke to Shuichi. The lingering feeling of a transparent past was slowly being lifted.

"I could have protected you better, Shu. I could have and I feel like a failure. I don't know what they were really doing, but you're the one who's really hurt this time." He had sniffled. "Just . . . if you don't wake up . . . at least . . . maybe some part of you knows . . . I love you."

"And I don't mind if you're sick and I don't mind if you're still scared of moving things, or of things in the night, or if you buy 13 boxes of strawberry pocky a day," he added.

Still there was no response from Shuichi. Eiri tried again. He wanted something to happen. He _needed something to happen._

"We'll get through this...together, Shu. Just wake up for me so I can go back to sleep. I haven't been able to sleep since you been here. Those damnable demons and your voice singing that song won't let me sleep . . . I guess you knew all along what I was running away from."

"It's beautiful," Ryuichi whimpered in the midst of his crying.

"The rumors definitely are wrong about your friend, that much I have to say," Arlena whispered behind him.

Still the machines still stayed the same. There was no response.

"Damn it . . . " Eiri whispered. "Why won't he respond now?"

A shuffle of feet behind them made the nurse, Ryuichi and Eiri turn around. They saw that Mika, Tohma and Tatsuha were standing by the doorway, looking at the scene. Tohma had pushed Mika and Tatsuha out of the way, running to Eiri and had gripped his shoulders.

_God damn him, _Eiri thought. _I'm trying to get Shuichi to wake up and he wants to play Mommy like a—_

"Eiri . . . come on. Let's get you to your room. Even if Shindou-san isn't responding, you can see him later. He needs rest, like you do right now."

"I'm not leaving until he wakes up, Tohma," Eiri told him, still hugging himself over Shuichi carefully. "I ---there's things I need to say to him." _It's more then things I need to say, although I don't think Tohma will get the point, even if I tell him._

_I need his comfort. I can't lie to myself anymore._

_If I don't see his eyes open, I'll see the nightmares until I do. _

_And the fear will never leave. I want it all to go away. I want ---I want Shuichi to be okay._

"That can be done when---" Mika had started but saw her brother's pain filled eyes, reddened with tears once again. "You---"

"I'm not leaving," Eiri proclaimed again. "No matter what anyone does. Sedate me if you have to, but I won't move willingly."

Out of all people to agree, he never thought that Tatsuha would as he saw his brother nod. The younger Uesugi pulled his sister out of the doorway and had walked in next to Ryuichi. "I wouldn't leave either, you know."

"You're the one who--"

"Eiri," Tatsuha said softly. "We're all here for Shuichi now. So let's just . . . we'll leave you alone for now. Come on, Ryuichi, Mika. Tohma. He'll be alright. Shuichi got this far, didn't he?"

"But I don't think that's wise—" Tohma interjected harshly.

"I'm afraid this goes against hospital policy . . . patients are not allowed to roam around the hospital."

Eiri just looked up at her. He knew he looked pathetic to her. His eyes were red and puffy. His face was a mess from the tears that were making their way down his face. It hurt him to move his cheeks, since the tear streaks had hardened on them. But he saw her eyes soften as she nodded to Eiri.

" . . . but given the circumstances, I think we can make an exception just this once."

"What if he doesn't wake up for a while?" Ryuichi's voice asked.

"He will," Eiri said softly. "He's waited for three years for something like this, so he better damn well wake up. It might be the best chance to a happy ending I'll write for a long time." He wiped his eyes as he nodded. "I'll be alright."

"You sure, Bro?" Tatsuha asked as he comforted Ryuichi, putting an arm around his shoulder. "You don't---"

"You'll be lucky if you even get to talk to him, Tatsuha. He's scared of you."

He knew he was cold on Tatsuha, and knew that it hurt his brother. But at the moment, he just did not care. As long as he had a chance of ending his pain, his torment, his never-ending nightmares, then he would take any chance he could get.

"I'm sure he's scared of both of us. Shuichi has every right to be," he heard Ryuichi telling Tatsuha.

"Eiri, would you like one of us to stay with you?" Tohma asked.  
"Perhaps you should eat something first. Or maybe—"

"I didn't know you had a mommy complex, Tohma," Ryuichi told him.

Despite the situation, Eiri did find the comment funny and chuckled a moment. "I said I'll be fine . . . Mother Tohma."

Tohma gave Eiri and Ryuichi a nasty glare. "Don't tell me you think I'm like a mother too."

Eiri laughed softly. "Well, you have been 'mothering' everyone since they came. Did we lose anyone since...things happened? Ryuichi muttered something about that ASS idiot coming in here, and well . . . " He held Shuichi's hand still, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I don't think I'd want food. I want a pack of Marlboros, though."

"You and me both," Hiro said, now coming into the room. He glanced at the others. "Sorry, I had to check on our other patient."

"Other patient?" Eiri asked.

"Marian," Mika answered as she sighed softly, holding the woman's purse still. "Apparently she had been in shock and Fujisaki pissed her off enough to make her punch him and forget to take that medicine of hers. However, she should be out of the hospital within a few hours. It has been a day since you've awakened, and since Shuichi's been out of surgery," Mika explained.

"And probably been the most sober Eiri's been in years," Tatsuha remarked from behind him, yawning as he rested his head on Ryuichi's shoulder.

Eiri glared at his younger brother. He heard the nurse chuckle at the cheerful fighting going on.

"And Tatsu isn't high anymore! I'm so happy!" Ryuichi chirped.

"Ryuichi," Tohma scolded, "you should really watch your choice of words. One could get the wrong impression."

"But we all know it was cause of the morphine!" Ryuichi yelled.

Mika nodded at Ryuichi's sentence. "Well, why don't we leave Eiri and Shuichi alone. I feel like I'm watching part of a romance movie." She had tried ushering everyone out of the room and she had gotten Tatsuha to start moving Ryuichi out of the room. Hiro had just stood there, watching the whole thing. After a touch on Mika's shoulder, he too had started to move for the door. None of them actually were going out of the door, though. "Tohma, are you coming?"

Tohma went to hurry on to follow his wife and the other two. "Call me if you need me Eiri," he said.

"Mr. Uesugi needs to go back mom—" Arlena called before a beep had emitted from the machine again. At the sound of the beep, all of their heads turned to the figure in the bed.

Shuichi's eyes had opened for a brief moment. It seemed that it was very hard for him to do. As he did so, one slipped closed. The other one that had followed was glassy and out of focus. But it was enough for everyone in the room.

"Shuichi!" Eiri's arms went to embrace the boy who was hooked up to the tubes that were supporting his life. "Shu . . . " His head rested gently on his chest as Eiri closed his eyes, finally finding the comfort he needed. _If I had lost you . . . I wouldn't have . . . the words would have left and everything I did for you . . . I would have been living in the past. I would have been living a lie._

Eiri heard a woman's gasp in the background, followed by sniffling.

"I can't believe it," Tohma said, amazed. "He . . . he woke up."

"YAY! SHUICHI—" Eiri heard Ryuichi's screams of happiness stop a brief second later. He could imagine the child like man dancing in his spot as he was trying to calm down.

"Shuichi," Hiro had said. "I knew he'd make it."

The words of the people close to Eiri and Shuichi had given the novelist comfort and a sense that he had done the right thing all this time. "Shuichi." Eiri's eyes looked at him warmly. "I know it hurts right now, and you don't have to really say anything. I just . . .I wanted to find that comfort I was missing. I think . . . I think I finally did."

He felt a gentle grip on his hand as he saw Shuichi's face scrunch up, trying to do something. His lips moved and he grunted a soft sound, but the word on his lips was as if he had said it himself.

Shuichi's lips mouthed out his lovers name before he gave up and had passed back into sleep, letting the machine breathe for him.

Eiri turned back around and had seen Tatsuha's hand let go of Ryuichi's mouth as Ryuichi calmed down. Mika teared up at seeing the whole thing. "He should write a story like this," she said softly.

"Mr. Shindou . . . he truly is remarkable," Arlena said to Eiri. "In all the years I've worked in this hospital, I've never seen anything like this."

"He's like that," Eiri smiled. "That little brat changes everyone he meets."

"He tried," Hiro said. "That little bastard tried to pretend again."

"Well, it is weird," Tatsuha laughed. "You know, him being so silent and all."

"At least Shuichi...is alive. And that is the most important thing," Mika told them. "Eiri can finally . . . stop living a lie."

Eiri had held Shuichi's hand and had laid his head back on Shuichi's chest, closing his eyes. He felt tired and he felt another headache coming on. But it didn't matter what happened now. Shuichi saw him. He heard the words Eiri had been trying to say for years.

A great weight was lifted off his shoulders as he heard his lover's heartbeat and had drifted to sleep, the heartbeat lulling all his demons away.

-----------

"Aww is that cute!" Ryuichi gushed as he pulled out his flip phone and had begun to snap pictures of the two sleeping together on the hospital bed. He was having fun now that Shuichi was not in a life or death situation.

"Ryuichi . . . " Tohma said softly to him.

Ryuichi had snapped another picture. He wanted a copy of this. He would put it on his phone for a background image.

"Ryuichi!"

"I gotta get one more, Tohma!" Ryuichi pouted. "Just one more from a different angle!"

Tohma snatched the phone with him, annoyed at the fact of him taking pictures. "You don't take pictures of that. What, did you like staring at Eiri's ass or something? Or did you like the moment?"

"But it's cute," Tatsuha countered, taking Tohma's hat off his head and had worn it on his own. "Stop being a mother, Tohma."

"I was into the moment, Tohma," Ryuichi said softly. "It was honestly . . . maybe . . . "

"Well, I'm sure that you were, but . . . Mr. Seguchi's right, Ryuichi," Hiro agreed. "It's a private moment between Shuichi and Mr. Yuki. And private it should stay."

"Awwwwwwwww! You're all no fun," Ryuichi whined.

Arlena took this time to look at the doorway and wave her hand in, calling another nurse to help her move Eiri's sleeping body off of Shuichi's. But it was then that Tohma had looked at the nurse.

"Ms. Arlena, is it possible for Eiri to share a room with Mr. Shindou?" he asked. "If it's not too much trouble?"

"I suppose it's possible, and it would save a lot of trouble from chasing this one around," Arlena smirked. "Though I'm sure the female nurses and patients are going to miss the view of him running like a maniac. Even some male ones too," she added, glancing at Ryuichi.

Tatsuha laughed as well as Hiro and Mika.

"Well, my brother was always a lady killer," Mika said smugly.

"And I think if Shuichi was well enough, he'd protect that ass of Eiri's," Tatsuha said. "I guess I should have considered Shuichi's feelings too."

"I think we were trying to tell you that, Tatsuha," Tohma scolded him. "But no matter. What is past is past. Now you must make up for what you and Ryuichi have done." Then he looked to Arlena. "Thank you, Ms. Arlena. I can't tell you how much we appreciate this."

"It's not a problem," she replied. "I'm just glad it had a happy ending."

"At least this was a happy ending. Maybe my brother will finally have the best story of them all. . . since he's experienced a happy ending."

"Yeah Tatsu, what about you and your 'forbidden manlove'?" Mika pressed.

Tatsuha blushed deeply. "Stop it, Mika! It's not all about the manlove!"

"Well," Arlena said, "I'm just glad that everything is alright. But you guys should leave now. We'll take care of things from here."

As they were ushered out the door by Arlena, Tatsuha sighed in relief and had glanced back in the room one more time to look at their sleeping forms. _Eiri . . . Shuichi . . . despite what we did to you, you still forgave us. You still helped us find the things that we had been looking for._

_And I . . . I found what I was looking for. _

_And . . . I hope to be like you two. I hope I'll be able to protect the one I care about the most, no matter what it takes._


End file.
